Piano chord
B 7 chord
B7 is a dominant seventh chord: the root B, a major 3rd up to D♯, a perfect 5th up to F♯ and a minor 7th up to A.
- Symbol
- B7
- Notes
- B – D♯ – F♯ – A
Play it yourself
Tap B, D♯, F♯ and A on the keys below, in any order.
- B
- D♯
- F♯
- A
Dominant seventh chords add a minor seventh to a major triad. That extra note creates the pull you hear at the end of a phrase, and it is the backbone of blues and jazz.
Inversions of B7
An inversion keeps the same notes but puts a different one at the bottom. Pianists use them to move between chords with less jumping.
- Root position
B – D♯ – F♯ – A
- 1st inversion · B7/D♯
D♯ – F♯ – A – B
- 2nd inversion · B7/F♯
F♯ – A – B – D♯
- 3rd inversion · B7/A
A – B – D♯ – F♯
Keys with B7
B7 occurs naturally in these keys. The Roman numeral shows which step of the scale it is built on.