Piano chord
C 7 chord
C7 is a dominant seventh chord: the root C, a major 3rd up to E, a perfect 5th up to G and a minor 7th up to B♭.
- Symbol
- C7
- Notes
- C – E – G – B♭
Play it yourself
Tap C, E, G and B♭ on the keys below, in any order.
- C
- E
- G
- B♭
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 C7
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
C – E – G – B♭
- 1st inversion · C7/E
E – G – B♭ – C
- 2nd inversion · C7/G
G – B♭ – C – E
- 3rd inversion · C7/B♭
B♭ – C – E – G
Keys with C7
C7 occurs naturally in these keys. The Roman numeral shows which step of the scale it is built on.