Can someone answer this question? What's the difference between a 7th chord and a minor 7th chord? Let's take the key of D. A Dmaj7 flats the root note (D) to a C# (or Db). So it's based on the major scale, adding in the major 7th note, the C#. But what scale is used in the good old regular D7? The D minor scale? I have a few beginner students and I don't know how to explain the scale that you would play to count out the 7th note to construct the "regular" 7th. The difference between D minor and D minor 7 is a whole step down from the root (to C), but what scale is a D7 based on? Is it based on a mode of D maj? It also is a whole step down, but the rest of the D7 chord isn't minor. Can ya help me??