You can always revisit this when you're ready. If your head is spinning after all of that, it's okay. This is the exact same chromatic sound I described to you in the minor iv chord progression IV-iv-I. A is the third of Fmaj7, A♭ is the flatted-seventh of B♭7, and G is the 5th of Cmaj7. For example, in the progression IV-♭VII-I (Fmaj7-B♭7-Cmaj7), you get the chromatic movement of chord tones: A-A♭-G. This flatted-seventh note of the ♭VII chord often creates that smooth chromatic connection I'm always babbling about. The A♭ is the flatted-seventh of the B♭7 chord. In the key of C, using a dominant 7th for the ♭VII chord gives us B♭7 (B♭-D-F-A♭). When played as a dominant 7th, we get another fun note-the flatted-seventh of the ♭VII chord! (Take a moment to process that.) You get a chord with two of the same notes and lose that dissonant flat-fifth.

The ♭VII chord, being a major triad or dominant 7th chord, is a simpler-sounding chord and fills this harmonic gap in the key.Īs a triad, the ♭VII chord is only one note different from the major key's diminished viiº chord: B♭ (B♭-D-F) versus Bº (B-D-F).

Not having an easy-to-use, simple-sounding chord in that seventh spot of the key leaves a big harmonic gap to fill. Obviously, when things are more difficult to use in music, they don't get used as much as the easy stuff. It also doesn't work very well as a rock power chord (“root-5th-root”). Because the viiº chord is diminished, its flatted fifth can be too dissonant or unstable. In many styles of music, use of the viiº chord from the major key is rare. Other times it moves to the IV chord: C-B♭-F-C How the♭VII Chord Works Often, the ♭VII chord moves back to the I chord: C-B♭-C, or F-B♭-C The ♭VII chord appears in chord progressions in many ways. In the key of C major, a ♭VII chord would be B♭ (B♭-D-F) or B♭7 (B♭-D-F-A♭) borrowed from the parallel minor scale of C minor. And, sometimes, it causes heated debates. It is quite common, but it creates a lot of confusion and is easy to analyze incorrectly. While all of the borrowed chord possibilities do get used (including the i, iiº and v), most often you will encounter the minor iv, ♭III, ♭VI, and ♭VII chords borrowed from the parallel minor key. The last common borrowed chord we will discuss in this lesson block is the ♭VII chord (“flat seven chord”).

Modulate a flat to g major