E♭ Dominant 7th
Also Known As
Hear the E♭ Dominant 7th chord played for you.
E♭7
E♭ – G – B♭ – D♭
Formula:R-M3-P5-m7
Intervals:P1-M3-P5-m7
Scale Degrees:1-3-5-b7
Introduction
The E♭ Dominant 7th chord is a four-note chord made up of E♭, G, B♭, and D♭. It is built from a root, major third, perfect fifth, and minor seventh.
The Eb Dominant 7th piano chord (Eb7) consists of the notes Eb, G, Bb, Db. It is a major triad with an added minor 7th, giving it a bluesy, tense sound that strongly wants to resolve. Formula: R-M3-P5-m7 | Scale degrees: 1-3-5-b7.
Notes
E♭ Dominant 7th Inversions
| Position | Notes |
|---|---|
| Root Position | E♭ – G – B♭ – D♭ |
| 1st Inversion | G – B♭ – D♭ – E♭ |
| 2nd Inversion | B♭ – D♭ – E♭ – G |
| 3rd Inversion | E♭ – G – B♭ – D♭ |
Key Signature
The key of Eb Dominant 7th has 3 flats.
B♭E♭A♭
Order of flats
Flats are added in a fixed order — the reverse of the sharp order. Each new flat key adds the next flat on the list.
B♭E♭A♭D♭G♭C♭F♭
Mnemonic: Battle Ends And Down Goes Charles’ Father
Chords in the Key of E♭ Major
These are the diatonic triads built on each degree of the E♭ major scale:
C
D
E
F
G
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
A
B
I — E♭ Major (major)
Theory: Intervals
Formula: R-M3-P5-m7
Intervals: P1-M3-P5-m7
The E♭ Dominant 7th is built by stacking intervals from the root note. The formula R-M3-P5-m7 describes the scale degrees used. The intervals P1-M3-P5-m7 show the distance between each note in the chord.
E♭ Dominant 7th — Frequently Asked Questions
What notes are in the Eb Dominant 7th chord?
The Eb Dominant 7th chord (Eb7) contains four notes: Eb (root), G (major third), Bb (perfect fifth), and Db (minor seventh). The major triad plus minor seventh creates the characteristic tension and forward motion of the dominant 7th sound.
How does Eb Dominant 7th differ from Eb Major?
Eb Major contains three notes: Eb, G, Bb. Eb Dominant 7th adds a Db (minor seventh) on top. That one added note transforms a stable chord into one with strong harmonic pull — it wants to resolve down a fifth to Ab Major.
What does 'dominant' mean in music theory?
'Dominant' refers to the fifth scale degree. The dominant 7th chord is built on the fifth note of a key and contains a tritone that creates strong pull toward resolution. Eb7 is the dominant chord in the key of Ab Major.
How is Eb Dominant 7th used in music?
Eb7 most commonly resolves to Ab Major in a V7–I cadence. In jazz, Eb7 appears frequently in ii–V–I progressions in Ab (Bbm7–Eb7–Abmaj7). It also serves as a blues chord in Eb blues and Ab blues contexts.
What songs use dominant 7th chords?
Dominant 7th chords are the backbone of blues and early rock: every chord in a standard 12-bar blues is a dominant 7th. Hit the Road Jack (Ray Charles), Ain't Misbehavin' (Fats Waller), and countless jazz standards rely on dominant 7th movement for their harmonic drive.
What is the tritone in Eb Dominant 7th?
The tritone in Eb7 is the interval between G (the third) and Db (the seventh) — exactly 6 semitones apart. This unstable interval gives Eb7 its strong pull toward Ab. The G resolves up to Ab and the Db resolves down to C.
Practice Tips
- Play Eb Major then add Db — hear how that one note creates urgency and forward motion in the chord.
- The tritone between G and Db is the engine of Eb7. Play just those two notes, then resolve: G up to Ab, Db down to C. This is the V7–I voice leading.
- Practice the essential resolution: Eb7 → Ab Major. Master it in root position first, then in each inversion for smooth voice leading.
- Practice the jazz ii–V–I in Ab: Bbm7 → Eb7 → Abmaj7. This three-chord progression is the most important movement in jazz harmony.
- Compare Eb7 with Ebm7 — the major third (G) in Eb7 creates brightness and drive, while the minor third in Ebm7 produces a darker, smoother sound.
- Try a rootless Eb7 voicing: play G–Bb–Db without the Eb root — this is the standard jazz piano approach when a bassist covers the root note.
Related Tools
Chord FinderLook up any chord — see the notes, hear it, and play along.Chord DrillTimed drills to build speed and recognition across all chord types.Practice RoomPlug in a MIDI keyboard and get real-time feedback on every chord and scale.Circle of FifthsVisualize key relationships, relative minors, and key signatures.MIDI MonitorLive MIDI message stream with note names, velocity, and a scrolling staff.