How can I hear the difference between a triad and a seventh chord?

Question

How would you describe the sound?

Answer 1

The triad (assuming you're talking about major ones) would sound PERFECT. Distancing between the notes, pitches, etc. When you add the seventh, it sounds a little bit sour, as though the extra note isn't really supposed to be there, because it's not the octave, but the one below it.

Seventh = Sour

Answer 2

the previous answerer is mistaking your word 'triad' for 'tritone' when she says it sounds evil.
The triad (either major or minor) has only three notes. Instead of focusing on the seventh chord, listen to and learn to identify these 2 basic chords first. Major = happy, minor = sad. Get a friend to play major and minor chords for you on the piano... over and over. Try to indentify them.
Then, when you are ready, add a seventh. The effect you should have is twofold:
1: The seventh is an 'added' tone. Whether it is added to the minor or major, it MUST be heard as an extra note. It would be wrong to say that it doesn't belong but in terms of the triad, it doesn't. If you have done a lot of work being comfortable with the sound of the triad alone, this step should not be too much of a stretch.
2: This is perhaps a more interesting way to think about it. Whereas the triad alone (major or minor) can be static. As in, you can play a triad and be done; the end, fine. A seventh chord must move. If you are given a choice between whether a chord has the seventh or not, ask yourself if there is a chord that the current one sounds like it should move to. If there clearly is a direction it is going, then it's the seventh.

Good luck.

Answer 3

OK it's too simple my friend if you want to know the difference between them , you could listen to it , if you feel that you want to sing the octave so you were in the seventh chord . You don't need to know the sound or the feeling of the Triton. Although you could get a song witch begin with a Triton it's a very nice idea I use it a lot and it works
You could although sing the two single notes of the triton and then calculate the numbers of notes between them but it needs an expert. Anyway try to use a famous song and don't worry the remember that the seventh chord you need after it to sing the octave .

Answer 4

Actually to me, I always hear a seventh chord (a major seventh chord) as something that would be in a song about sailing -- seriously! Triads, (major triads) just sound happy.

Answer 5

well when you listen to it on a piano the triad chord sounds more devilish, evil.
the seventh chord also has more half steps between it. the notes jump higher than a triad

Answer 6

If you mean the diff between a tri*tone* (A4/D5) and a major seventh (M7), I learned two songs: for the first, from West Side Story, is "ma-RI-a..." the interval between ma and ri is a tritone. In South Pacific, you have "ba-li-HAI (will call you...)" the space between ba and hai is a M7.

If you mean between a three note chord and a four note chord, you can tell if a seventh is present because there is dissonance between it and the root. The chord has an unsteady, unresolved sound.