Piano chord
B♭ 7 chord
B♭7 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
- B♭7
- 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 B♭7
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 · B♭7/D
D – F – A♭ – B♭
- 2nd inversion · B♭7/F
F – A♭ – B♭ – D
- 3rd inversion · B♭7/A♭
A♭ – B♭ – D – F
Keys with B♭7
B♭7 occurs naturally in these keys. The Roman numeral shows which step of the scale it is built on.