Root position
D# – F## – A# – C#The root D# is the lowest note. This is the shape most people learn first.
4 notes · 1 · 3 · 5 · ♭7
D# Dominant Seventh Piano Chord (D#7)
D#7 is built from D#, F##, A# and C# — the formula 1 · 3 · 5 · ♭7, or 4, 7 and 10 semitones above D#. The shape uses 1 white and 3 black keys, and you can hear it, invert it and compare it below.
Chord
D# Dominant seventh
Notes
D# · G · A# · C#Formula
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 D#7. Press P or the Play chord button to hear D#, F##, A#, C# sounded together, then change the root or the chord type to compare it with something else.
Chord tones
The notes in D#7
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D#black key | Root | 1 | 0 | 1 · thumb |
| F##white key | Major third | 3 | 4 | 2 · index finger |
| A#black key | Perfect fifth | 5 | 7 | 3 · middle finger |
| C#black key | Minor seventh | ♭7 | 10 | 5 · little finger |
Step by step
How to play D#7 on piano
- Find D#: it is the second black key in a group of two.
- Build upwards from D# using 4, 7 and 10 semitones to reach F##, A# and C#.
- With the right hand, place finger 1 on D#, finger 2 on F##, finger 3 on A# and finger 5 on C#. 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 D#7 settles.
- Try first inversion as well: F## – A# – C# – D#. Inversions let you change chords without jumping around the keyboard.
Inversions
D#7 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
F## – A# – C# – D#F## is the lowest note, so the major third sits in the bass and the notes below it move up an octave.
Second inversion
A# – C# – D# – F##A# is the lowest note, so the perfect fifth sits in the bass and the notes below it move up an octave.
Third inversion
C# – D# – F## – A#C# 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 D#7
In A♭ 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.
- A♭ majorV7
- F minorVII7
- G♯ 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
D#7 against D#maj7
D#7 and D#maj7 share D#, F## and A#. Moving the major seventh C## down 1 semitone to the minor seventh C# turns D#maj7 into D#7.
Practise the pair together: hold the shared notes D#, F##, A# still and move only the one finger. Hearing that single change is the quickest way to recognise the two chords by ear.
Open D#maj7 →Good questions
D#7 questions
What notes are in the D#7 chord?
D#7 contains D#, F##, A# and C#. Counted from the root, that is the formula 1 · 3 · 5 · ♭7, or 4, 7 and 10 semitones above D#.
What is the right-hand fingering for D#7?
A comfortable beginner fingering is 1 (thumb) on D#, 2 (index finger) on F##, 3 (middle finger) on A# and 5 (little finger) on C#. Finger numbers run from the thumb (1) to the little finger (5), and they change once you start using inversions.
How is D#7 different from D#maj7?
D#7 and D#maj7 share D#, F## and A#. Moving the major seventh C## down 1 semitone to the minor seventh C# turns D#maj7 into D#7.
Which keys use the D#7 chord?
It occurs naturally in A♭ major (V7), F minor (VII7) and G♯ harmonic minor (V7). The roman numeral shows which degree of the key the chord is built on.
What are the inversions of D#7?
root position is D# – F## – A# – C#, first inversion is F## – A# – C# – D#, second inversion is A# – C# – D# – F## and third inversion is C# – D# – F## – A#. Every inversion holds the same notes; only the lowest one changes.
Is D#7 the same as the E♭ chord?
On an equal-tempered piano D# and E♭ are the same key, so the chords sound identical. Written music chooses between them according to the key signature: pages here are named after the sharp spelling of the root, and the chord tones are then spelled by the degree each one occupies, which is why a double sharp occasionally appears.