C7 chord on piano
C7 is C, E, G and B♭. C sits just left of the pair of black keys. Hit Play and watch each key light as it sounds.
root position · C–E–G–B♭ · right hand 1-2-3-5
- Notes
- C · E · G · B♭
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · 5 · ♭7
How to play C7 on piano
Count keys (black and white) from C: 4 half steps up to E, 3 half steps up to G then 3 half steps up to B♭. Those 4 keys are C7.
- Right hand: 1 on C, 2 on E, 3 on G and 5 on B♭.
- Left hand: 5 on C, 3 on E, 2 on G and 1 on B♭.
- On the keyboard it's white, white, white and black keys, the same pattern as F7, so your hand shape carries over.
C7 inversions
- root position: C–E–G–B♭. RH 1-2-3-5.
- 1st inversion: E–G–B♭–C (E in the bass). Right hand 1-2-3-5.
- 2nd inversion: G–B♭–C–E, with G at the bottom. Right hand 1-2-3-5.
- 3rd inversion: B♭–C–E–G, B♭ lowest. Fingers 1-2-3-5.
Nobody plays every chord in root position. The inversions let C7 sit wherever the previous chord left your hand.
Changing from C7 to the chords around it
These are the changes you'll meet most often with C7, using the first shape of each chord.
- F (the V7 pulls home a fifth below): C7 to F: play F in 2nd inversion (C–F–A) and C stays under the same finger, while E moves up to F and B♭ down to A. F on piano
- Fmaj7 (I in F major): C7 to Fmaj7: play Fmaj7 in 2nd inversion (C–E–F–A) and C and E stay under the same fingers, while G moves down to F and B♭ down to A. Fmaj7 on piano
- Dm7 (vi in F major): C7 to Dm7: play Dm7 in 3rd inversion (C–D–F–A) and C stays under the same finger, while E moves down to D, G down to F and B♭ down to A. Dm7 on piano
C7 is a dominant seventh chord: a major triad with a flattened seventh on top. Use C7 where you want motion: it leans toward the chord a fifth below and turns up on almost every blues. The one-by-one button above makes that quality easy to hear.
Getting C7 under your fingers
Play C7 broken, one key at a time: C, E, G, B♭, G, E, C. Then press the keys together and check that all 4 sound at the same volume. Then climb the inversions: C–E–G–B♭, then E–G–B♭–C, then G–B♭–C–E, then B♭–C–E–G.
The keys of C7
C7 is a dominant seventh chord, 1–3–5–♭7 from C. Root position, from the bottom: how C7 is built.
| Note | Key | Fingers | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| C | white key | RH 1 · LH 5 | root |
| E | white key | RH 2 · LH 3 | major third |
| G | white key | RH 3 · LH 2 | perfect fifth |
| B♭ | black key | RH 5 · LH 1 | minor seventh |
Where C7 shows up
In C major, I7–IV7–V7 (12 bars) on piano is C7 (C–E–G–B♭), F7 (F–A–C–E♭) and G7 (G–B–D–F). About the 12-bar blues.
In F major, ii–V–I on piano is Gm7 (G–B♭–D–F), C7 (C–E–G–B♭) and Fmaj7 (F–A–C–E). About the jazz cadence.
C7 on guitar and ukulele
C7 on guitar and ukulele uses the same 4 notes in a different layout. See all three together.
Close to C7
Other dominant seventh chords
C7 on piano: questions
What notes are in C7 on piano?
C, E, G and B♭: C (white key), E (white key), G (white key) and B♭ (black key). Right hand 1-2-3-5, left hand 5-3-2-1.
How do you play C7 on piano?
Press C, E, G and B♭ together (1 black, 3 white). Right hand: 1 on C, 2 on E, 3 on G and 5 on B♭.
What are the inversions of C7?
1st inversion (E–G–B♭–C), 2nd inversion (G–B♭–C–E) and 3rd inversion (B♭–C–E–G), after root position (C–E–G–B♭). Each keeps all the notes of the chord.
What does C7 look like on the keyboard?
white, white, white and black keys, the same pattern as F7, so one hand shape covers all of them.
Shapes and sound are generated from the notes C, E, G and B♭ and tested automatically. Updated September 2026.