Piano chord
C Dominant 7th Chord
C7 is a dominant 7th chord built on C. It contains the notes C – E – G – B♭.
C7
Also written: Cdom7
- C
- E
- G
- B♭
Notes in C7
Count up from C using the intervals below. The formula shows each note relative to the C major scale.
| Notes | Intervals | Formula | Semitones |
|---|---|---|---|
| C | Root | 1 | 0 |
| E | Major 3rd | 3 | 4 |
| G | Perfect 5th | 5 | 7 |
| B♭ | Minor 7th | ♭7 | 10 |
How to play C7 on piano
- Right hand: fingers 1–2–3–5 (thumb on C).
- Left hand: fingers 5–3–2–1, or play just the root in the left hand and the other notes in the right.
- Inversions keep your hand closer to the previous chord — see below.
C7 inversions
An inversion puts a different note of C7 at the bottom. The notes stay the same, the colour and voice leading change.
Root position
C7C – E – G – B♭
1st inversion
C7/EE – G – B♭ – C
2nd inversion
C7/GG – B♭ – C – E
3rd inversion
C7/B♭B♭ – C – E – G
About dominant 7th chords
The dominant 7th wants to move — it creates tension that demands resolution. The sound of blues and rock 'n' roll.
Sound: Tense & bluesy
Songs that use it
- Johnny B. Goode · Chuck BerryRock
- The Thrill Is Gone · B.B. KingBlues
- La Grange · ZZ TopBlues Rock
Keys that contain C7
C7 is built only from notes of these keys. The Roman numeral shows its role in each key.
Hear C7 with different sounds and compare it with other chords in the interactive builder.
Open in the chord builderPractising on an acoustic piano that sounds off?
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