Piano chords › C dominant 7th

C dominant 7th chord

Symbol: C7 · Notes: C – E – G – B♭

The dominant seventh chord: a major chord plus a minor seventh. Its tension pulls toward the chord a fifth below (G7 → C), and it is the sound of the blues.

How it is built

• C: root
• E: major third
• G: perfect fifth
• B♭: minor seventh

Fingering: right hand 1 2 3 5, left hand 5 3 2 1 (1 = thumb, 5 = pinky).

Its inversions

• Root position: C – E – G – B♭
• 1st inversion: E – G – B♭ – C
• 2nd inversion: G – B♭ – C – E
• 3rd inversion: B♭ – C – E – G

In which keys

• V (dominant) in F major
• VII in D minor
• V (dominant) in F harmonic minor

Other C chords

C · Cm · Cmaj7 · Cm7 · Csus2 · Csus4 · Cdim · C+ · C6 · Cm6 · Cadd9 · Cdim7 · Cm7♭5

Learn chords step by step with the free course