F Dominant 7th
Hear the F Dominant 7th chord played for you.
F7
F – A – C – E♭
Formula:R-M3-P5-m7
Intervals:P1-M3-P5-m7
Scale Degrees:1-3-5-b7
Introduction
The F Dominant 7th chord is a four-note chord made up of F, A, C, and E♭. It is built from a root, major third, perfect fifth, and minor seventh.
The F Dominant 7th piano chord (F7) consists of the notes F, A, C, Eb. 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
F Dominant 7th Inversions
| Position | Notes |
|---|---|
| Root Position | F – A – C – E♭ |
| 1st Inversion | A – C – E♭ – F |
| 2nd Inversion | C – E♭ – F – A |
| 3rd Inversion | F – A – C – E♭ |
Key Signature
The key of F Dominant 7th has 1 flat.
B♭
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 F Major
These are the diatonic triads built on each degree of the F major scale:
C
D
E
F
G
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
A
B
I — F Major (major)
Theory: Intervals
Formula: R-M3-P5-m7
Intervals: P1-M3-P5-m7
The F 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.
F Dominant 7th — Frequently Asked Questions
What notes are in the F Dominant 7th chord?
The F Dominant 7th chord (F7) contains four notes: F (root), A (major third), C (perfect fifth), and Eb (minor seventh). The combination of a major triad with a minor seventh creates the dominant 7th's characteristic bluesy tension and forward drive.
How does F Dominant 7th differ from F Major?
F Major contains three notes: F, A, C. F Dominant 7th adds an Eb (minor seventh) on top. That single added note transforms a stable chord into one with urgent forward motion — it wants to resolve down a fifth to Bb 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. F7 is the dominant chord in the key of Bb Major.
How is F Dominant 7th used in music?
F7 most commonly resolves to Bb Major in a V7–I cadence. It is the V7 in Bb Major and the IV7 in a blues in C. F7 appears frequently in jazz standards, gospel music, and R&B, where Bb Major is a common horn-friendly key.
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 F Dominant 7th?
The tritone in F7 is the interval between A (the third) and Eb (the seventh) — exactly 6 semitones apart. This unstable interval gives F7 its strong pull toward Bb. The A resolves up to Bb and the Eb resolves down to D.
Practice Tips
- Play F Major then add Eb — hear how that one note creates urgency and forward motion.
- The tritone between A and Eb is the engine of F7. Play just those two notes, then resolve: A up to Bb, Eb down to D. This is V7–I voice leading in Bb Major.
- Practice the essential resolution: F7 → Bb Major. This appears in countless jazz standards and gospel songs — master it in root position and all inversions.
- In a 12-bar blues in Bb: Bb7–Bb7–Bb7–Bb7–Eb7–Eb7–Bb7–Bb7–F7–Eb7–Bb7–F7. F7 is the turnaround chord — practice this full form.
- Compare F7 with Fm7 — the major third (A) in F7 creates brightness and drive, while the minor third in Fm7 has a smoother, darker character.
- Jazz voicing: play A–C–Eb (no root) — this rootless voicing is standard for jazz piano comping when a bassist covers the F.
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