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C Dominant 7th Chord
The C Dominant 7th Chord is C, E, G, and B-flat: a C major chord with a B-flat added on top. With four notes, the fingering becomes 1-2-3-5, and the fifth finger reaches up to the one black key. That B-flat is what gives the chord its pull toward F, so let's make sure it doesn't get lost at the top of the hand.
How to play the C Dominant 7th Chord on the piano
Let’s go through some charts that will familiarize you with the C Dominant 7th Chord and how to play it in the various forms you will encounter in pieces of music. First, we’ll look at the fundamental chord and its inversions; then, we’ll explore some more complex voicings.
The C Dominant 7th Chord in root position
In root position, the notes of the C dominant 7th chord are stacked in thirds with C on the bottom. The appearance on the staff is evenly spaced, as is the feeling of the space in between your fingers while playing.
| C Dominant 7th Chord in root position | |
|---|---|
| Note Order | C E G B♭ |
| Left Hand Fingering | 5 3 2 1 |
| Right Hand Fingering | 1 2 3 5 |
| Chord Symbol | C7 |
The C Dominant 7th Chord in first inversion
In first inversion, the third of the chord (E) becomes the bottom note, and the root (C) jumps up to the top.
| C Dominant 7th Chord in 1st inversion | |
|---|---|
| Note Order | E G B♭ C |
| Left Hand Fingering | 5 3 2 1 |
| Right Hand Fingering | 1 2 4 5 |
| Chord Symbol | C6/5 or C7/E |
The C Dominant 7th Chord in second inversion
In second inversion, the fifth of the chord (G) is on the bottom, and the third of the chord (E) goes to the top.
| C Dominant 7th Chord in 2nd inversion | |
|---|---|
| Note Order | G B♭ C E |
| Left Hand Fingering | 5 3 2 1 |
| Right Hand Fingering | 1 2 3 5 |
| Chord Symbol | C4/3 or C7/G |
The C Dominant 7th Chord in third inversion
In third inversion, the seventh of the chord (B♭) is on the bottom, and the fifth of the chord (G) goes to the top.
| C Dominant 7th Chord in 3rd inversion | |
|---|---|
| Note Order | B♭ C E G |
| Left Hand Fingering | 5 4 2 1 |
| Right Hand Fingering | 1 2 3 5 |
| Chord Symbol | C4/2 or C7/B♭ |
C Dominant 7th Chord theory and function
The dominant 7th is the chord that most wants to resolve. Its third and seventh form a tritone, and each of those notes pulls by step: the third up, the seventh down. That pull is what makes V7 lead so firmly to I.
The C dominant 7th chord is the dominant (V7) in F major. In minor keys, it is the dominant (V7) in F minor.
The resolution is C7 – F: E steps up to F and B♭ steps down to A. At a cadence, V7 – I is the sound of a phrase ending. When a dominant 7th chord turns up in a key where it isn’t the V7 (the chord built on the fifth scale degree), it is almost always pointing at the chord a fourth above it. Try playing C7 and then F and listen for those two half steps.
Other chords built on C
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