Root position
B – D# – F# – AThe root B is the lowest note. This is the shape most people learn first.
4 notes · 1 · 3 · 5 · ♭7
B Dominant Seventh Piano Chord (B7)
B7 is built from B, D#, F# and A — the formula 1 · 3 · 5 · ♭7, or 4, 7 and 10 semitones above B. The shape uses 2 white and 2 black keys, and you can hear it, invert it and compare it below.
Chord
B Dominant seventh
Notes
B · D# · F# · AFormula
1 · 3 · 5 · ♭7Right hand
1 · 2 · 3 · 5C
D
E
F
G
A
B
C
C#
D#
F#
G#
A#
Choose a chord, then play it. Finger numbers run from thumb (1) to little finger (5).
The finder above already holds B7. Press P or the Play chord button to hear B, D#, F#, A sounded together, then change the root or the chord type to compare it with something else.
Chord tones
The notes in B7
A dominant seventh chord is a major triad with a minor seventh added on top. The tritone between its third and its seventh is unstable and pulls strongly towards the chord a fifth below, which is what makes it the engine of blues, gospel and most cadences. In a major key it is built on the fifth degree.
| Note | Interval | Degree | Semitones | Right hand |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bwhite key | Root | 1 | 0 | 1 · thumb |
| D#black key | Major third | 3 | 4 | 2 · index finger |
| F#black key | Perfect fifth | 5 | 7 | 3 · middle finger |
| Awhite key | Minor seventh | ♭7 | 10 | 5 · little finger |
Step by step
How to play B7 on piano
- Find B: it is the white key immediately right of a group of three black keys.
- Build upwards from B using 4, 7 and 10 semitones to reach D#, F# and A.
- With the right hand, place finger 1 on B, finger 2 on D#, finger 3 on F# and finger 5 on A. Keep the wrist level and the knuckles rounded.
- Move your hand a little further in towards the fallboard so the black keys sit comfortably under your fingers.
- Play the notes together, then one at a time from the bottom up, and listen to how B7 settles.
- Try first inversion as well: D# – F# – A – B. Inversions let you change chords without jumping around the keyboard.
Inversions
B7 in 4 positions
An inversion keeps the same 4 notes and simply moves the lowest one up an octave. Learning them means you can change chords with small hand movements instead of jumping to a new part of the keyboard.
First inversion
D# – F# – A – BD# is the lowest note, so the major third sits in the bass and the notes below it move up an octave.
Second inversion
F# – A – B – D#F# is the lowest note, so the perfect fifth sits in the bass and the notes below it move up an octave.
Third inversion
A – B – D# – F#A is the lowest note, so the minor seventh sits in the bass and the notes below it move up an octave.
In context
Which keys contain B7
In E major the chord functions as V7. Altogether it is produced by the scales of 3 keys, so learning it once pays off in several places.
- E majorV7
- C♯ minorVII7
- E harmonic minorV7
Chord tones are spelled by the degree they occupy, so the third of a minor chord is written as a flat rather than a sharp even though it is the same key on the piano. A double sharp such as F## means the key one whole tone above F.
Compare
B7 against Bmaj7
B7 and Bmaj7 share B, D# and F#. Moving the major seventh A# down 1 semitone to the minor seventh A turns Bmaj7 into B7.
Practise the pair together: hold the shared notes B, D#, F# still and move only the one finger. Hearing that single change is the quickest way to recognise the two chords by ear.
Open Bmaj7 →Good questions
B7 questions
What notes are in the B7 chord?
B7 contains B, D#, F# and A. Counted from the root, that is the formula 1 · 3 · 5 · ♭7, or 4, 7 and 10 semitones above B.
What is the right-hand fingering for B7?
A comfortable beginner fingering is 1 (thumb) on B, 2 (index finger) on D#, 3 (middle finger) on F# and 5 (little finger) on A. Finger numbers run from the thumb (1) to the little finger (5), and they change once you start using inversions.
How is B7 different from Bmaj7?
B7 and Bmaj7 share B, D# and F#. Moving the major seventh A# down 1 semitone to the minor seventh A turns Bmaj7 into B7.
Which keys use the B7 chord?
It occurs naturally in E major (V7), C♯ minor (VII7) and E harmonic minor (V7). The roman numeral shows which degree of the key the chord is built on.
What are the inversions of B7?
root position is B – D# – F# – A, first inversion is D# – F# – A – B, second inversion is F# – A – B – D# and third inversion is A – B – D# – F#. Every inversion holds the same notes; only the lowest one changes.