Ear Training for Dominant 7th Chords!

No matter what level of player you are, developing your ear training skills is one of the most important tools you need to play music! The video below focuses on ear training exercises for dominant 7th chords - an essential harmony found in jazz, blues, pop, and classical music that every musician should be comfortable recognizing and using by ear.

🎵 Why Dominant 7th Chords Matter

Dominant 7th chords are everywhere in music. In theory, a dominant seventh chord is built from a root, major third, perfect fifth, and minor seventh (e.g., G–B–D–F) and often functions as the “V7” chord in tonal harmony.

This tension-and-release quality makes them especially important in:

• Jazz progressions (as ii–V–I patterns)

• Blues harmony

• Pop and rock tunes

• Cadential motion in classical music
  

Being able to hear these chords, not just see them on a page, gives you an advantage when improvising, transcribing, or playing with others.

🎵 Inside the Video

The video walks you through targeted ear training exercises to help you:

1. Hear the Unique Sound of Dominant 7ths

You’ll listen to examples of dominant 7th chords, letting your ear internalize their harmonic quality — that mix of stability (major triad) and tension (minor seventh).

2. Be Able to Play and Improvise on Dominant 7th chords

Matching what you hear with the sound of a chord isn’t easy at first, but consistent ear training over time helps. I give you specific exercises (with free sheet music!) based on chord tones to practice (ascending and descending), and also talk about approach notes.

3. Practice Active Listening

Rather than passively hearing music, this ear training approach asks you to listen with intent, identifying chord types and intervals as they play. This skill builds a deeper musical intuition. If you can't play it on your instrument at first, try singing along! If you found this video helpful - you would love it inside my program Improv Academy! Improv Academy is a monthly membership to learn how to improvise with live masterclasses, a tune of the month, and an ear training and music theory library. Check it out here! Improv Academy Musically, Ana