dominant seventh chord
B♭, D, F and A♭
- Root
- B♭
- Major third
- D
- Perfect fifth
- F
- Minor seventh
- A♭
Formula
1 3 5 ♭7 (4, 7, 10 half steps above B♭)
Fingering in root position
| Notes | B♭ | D | F | A♭ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Right hand | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| Left hand | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
B♭7 inversions
B♭7 has 3 inversions. Each one keeps the same notes and puts a different one at the bottom, so your hand can stay close to the chord before or after it.
B♭7
Root position
| Notes | B♭ | D | F | A♭ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Right hand | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| Left hand | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
B♭7/D
First inversion
| Notes | D | F | A♭ | B♭ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Right hand | 1 | 2 | 4 | 5 |
| Left hand | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
B♭7/F
Second inversion
| Notes | F | A♭ | B♭ | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Right hand | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| Left hand | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
B♭7/A♭
Third inversion
| Notes | A♭ | B♭ | D | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Right hand | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| Left hand | 5 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
Keys with B♭7
Roman numerals give a chord's place in a key: capitals for major chords, small letters for minor, ° for diminished. B♭7 appears as:
- V7 in E♭ major
- V7 in E♭ minor
- VII7 in C minor
How B♭7 is built
B♭ is the root, D the major third, F the perfect fifth and A♭ the minor seventh.
A dominant seventh is a major chord plus the minor seventh, 10 half steps above the root. B♭7 is the V7 chord of E♭ major and pulls strongly toward it.
Every chord takes every other letter of the alphabet, so the letters of B♭7 are B, D, F, A. That is why it is spelled B♭, D, F and A♭.
Find B♭7 yourself
Without looking at the diagrams, find the chord on the keyboard, then each inversion. Saying the notes out loud as you tap them helps them stick.
Step 1 of 4
Tap the notes of B♭7, in any octave and any order.
Practice B♭7 in real music
MasterPiano gives you new music to read at your level and listens as you play, through a MIDI keyboard or your device's microphone, marking each note right or wrong.
Start freeQuestions
What notes are in the B♭7 chord?
B♭7 has four notes: B♭, D, F and A♭. B♭ is the root, D the major third, F the perfect fifth and A♭ the minor seventh.
What fingers do you use for B♭7 on piano?
In root position, play B♭, D, F and A♭ with right hand fingers 1, 2, 3 and 5 (thumb, index finger, middle finger and little finger) and left hand fingers 5, 3, 2 and 1. The fingers change a little in each inversion; every inversion on this page shows its own.
What are the inversions of B♭7?
B♭7 has 3 inversions, one for each note other than the root at the bottom. First inversion (B♭7/D): D, F, A♭ and B♭. Second inversion (B♭7/F): F, A♭, B♭ and D. Third inversion (B♭7/A♭): A♭, B♭, D and F.
What key is B♭7 in?
B♭7 appears as V7 in E♭ major, V7 in E♭ minor and VII7 in C minor.