Chord reference
Dominant seventh
1 – 3 – 5 – ♭7 · example: C7 = C – E – G – B♭
A major triad with a minor seventh. The tritone between its third and seventh is what pulls it home.
Written as a formula it is 1 – 3 – 5 – ♭7: the degrees of the major scale it keeps, with any that are altered marked. On C that gives C7 = C, E, G, B♭.
How it is built
- B♭minor
- Gthird
- Emajor
- Croot
Play it on any root
The explorer starts on C7. Strike it, then break it up one note at a time, then change the root — the shape on the keyboard is what stays the same. The other buttons are the chords one change away from this one.
The intervals above the root
| Chord tone | Interval above the root | Semitones | Note in C7 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Perfect unison | 0 | C |
| 3 | Major third | 4 | E |
| 5 | Perfect fifth | 7 | G |
| ♭7 | Minor seventh | 10 | B♭ |
Inversions
The same notes can be stacked in any vertical order. The chord keeps its name; what changes is which note is in the bass. See chord inversions for why that matters, or press any notes into the chord identifier to have the chord and its inversion named for you.
| Position | Notes | Written as |
|---|---|---|
| Root position | C – E – G – B♭ | C7 |
| First inversion | E – G – B♭ – C | C7/E |
| Second inversion | G – B♭ – C – E | C7/G |
| Third inversion | B♭ – C – E – G | C7/B♭ |
This chord on every root
| Root | Symbol | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| C | C7 | C – E – G – B♭ |
| D♭ | D♭7 | D♭ – F – A♭ – C♭ |
| D | D7 | D – F♯ – A – C |
| E♭ | E♭7 | E♭ – G – B♭ – D♭ |
| E | E7 | E – G♯ – B – D |
| F | F7 | F – A – C – E♭ |
| F♯ | F♯7 | F♯ – A♯ – C♯ – E |
| G | G7 | G – B – D – F |
| A♭ | A♭7 | A♭ – C – E♭ – G♭ |
| A | A7 | A – C♯ – E – G |
| B♭ | B♭7 | B♭ – D – F – A♭ |
| B | B7 | B – D♯ – F♯ – A |