C7, also called C dominant seventh, contains C, E, G and B♭. Use the piano diagram to find the notes, hear the chord and explore its inversions.
The C7 chord is a major triad plus a minor seventh.
Preserve the written chord spelling shown here; keyboard equivalence does not rename the chord.
Choose a position to keep the four written notes, sounding keys, bass note, playback and print reference synchronized.
C7 uses 1–3–5–♭7: C–E–G–B♭.
a major triad plus a minor seventh
Compared with C major, add the minor seventh above the root.
A seventh chord has four chord tones and therefore four positions: root position plus three inversions. The slash symbol identifies the written bass note.
| Position | Symbol | Notes, low to high | Bass |
|---|---|---|---|
| Root position, current selection | C7 | C4–E4–G4–B♭4 | C4 |
| First inversion | C7/E | E4–G4–B♭4–C5 | E4 |
| Second inversion | C7/G | G4–B♭4–C5–E5 | G4 |
| Third inversion | C7/B♭ | B♭4–C5–E5–G5 | B♭4 |
Fingerings are not included on this page. The diagram shows note positions, not a prescribed hand shape.
Use the written notes, keyboard positions and playback without treating the diagram as a required hand shape.
Read left- and right-hand finger numbersOpen Music Theory
Supports: Dominant Seventh chord construction, written spelling and inversion principles
Scope: Supports theory and spelling only; keyboard layouts are PianoGrid examples, and no fingering is assigned.
C, E, G, B♭.
1–3–5–♭7.
Three inversions, in addition to root position.
Select the four pitch classes that make C7, then check your answer.
This one-octave exercise checks the exact four-note pitch-class set. Order and inversion do not affect the result; missing and extra notes are reported, while fingering and live performance are not assessed.
One octave, C through B. Select a key again to remove it.
Chord tones: C–E–G–B♭ · Formula: 1, 3, 5, ♭7
Dots mark the notes to play. C4 is middle C. Numbers identify octaves, not fingers.