E-flat Dominant 7th Chord

How to play the E-flat Dominant 7th Chord on the piano

Let’s go through some charts that will familiarize you with the E-flat 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 E-flat Dominant 7th Chord in root position

In root position, the notes of the E♭ dominant 7th chord are stacked in thirds with E♭ on the bottom. The appearance on the staff is evenly spaced, as is the feeling of the space in between your fingers while playing.

E-flat Dominant 7th Chord in root position
Note Order	E♭ G B♭ D♭
Left Hand Fingering	5 3 2 1
Right Hand Fingering	1 2 3 5
Chord Symbol	E♭7

The E-flat Dominant 7th Chord in first inversion

In first inversion, the third of the chord (G) becomes the bottom note, and the root (E♭) jumps up to the top.

E-flat Dominant 7th Chord in 1^st inversion
Note Order	G B♭ D♭ E♭
Left Hand Fingering	5 3 2 1
Right Hand Fingering	1 2 4 5
Chord Symbol	E♭^6/5 or E♭7/G

The E-flat Dominant 7th Chord in second inversion

In second inversion, the fifth of the chord (B♭) is on the bottom, and the third of the chord (G) goes to the top.

E-flat Dominant 7th Chord in 2^nd inversion
Note Order	B♭ D♭ E♭ G
Left Hand Fingering	5 3 2 1
Right Hand Fingering	1 2 3 5
Chord Symbol	E♭^4/3 or E♭7/B♭

The E-flat Dominant 7th Chord in third inversion

In third inversion, the seventh of the chord (D♭) is on the bottom, and the fifth of the chord (B♭) goes to the top.

E-flat Dominant 7th Chord in 3^rd inversion
Note Order	D♭ E♭ G B♭
Left Hand Fingering	5 4 2 1
Right Hand Fingering	1 2 3 5
Chord Symbol	E♭^4/2 or E♭7/D♭

E-flat 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 E♭ dominant 7th chord is the dominant (V7) in A♭ major. On the keyboard this is the same chord as D♯ dominant 7th, and the spelling follows the key. The D♯ dominant 7th chord is the dominant (V7) in G♯ minor.

The resolution is E♭7 – A♭: G steps up to A♭ and D♭ steps down to C. 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 E♭7 and then A♭ and listen for those two half steps.