F7 chord on piano
F7 is F, A, C and E♭. You'll find F just left of the group of three black keys (a white key). Press Play to hear it, then try it at half speed.
root position · F–A–C–E♭ · right hand 1-2-3-5
- Notes
- F · A · C · E♭
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · 5 · ♭7
How to play F7 on piano
From F, go 4 half steps up to A, 3 half steps up to C then 3 half steps up to E♭. Press the 4 keys together and that's F7.
- Right hand: 1 on F, 2 on A, 3 on C and 5 on E♭.
- Left hand: 5 on F, 3 on A, 2 on C and 1 on E♭.
- On the keyboard it's white, white, white and black keys, the same pattern as C7, so your hand shape carries over.
F7 inversions
- root position: F–A–C–E♭. Right hand 1-2-3-5.
- 1st inversion: A–C–E♭–F (A in the bass). RH 1-2-3-5.
- 2nd inversion: C–E♭–F–A (C in the bass). Fingers 1-2-3-5.
- 3rd inversion: E♭–F–A–C, E♭ lowest. Right hand 1-2-3-5.
Nobody plays every chord in root position. The inversions let F7 sit wherever the previous chord left your hand.
F7 chord changes
The chords F7 usually goes to, and what changes under your fingers.
- B♭ (the V7 pulls home a fifth below): F7 to B♭: play B♭ in 2nd inversion (F–B♭–D) and F stays under the same finger, while A moves up to B♭ and E♭ down to D. B♭ on piano
- B♭maj7 (I in B♭ major): F7 to B♭maj7: play B♭maj7 in 2nd inversion (F–A–B♭–D) and F and A stay under the same fingers, while C moves down to B♭ and E♭ down to D. B♭maj7 on piano
- Gm7 (vi in B♭ major): F7 to Gm7: play Gm7 in 3rd inversion (F–G–B♭–D) and F stays under the same finger, while A moves down to G, C down to B♭ and E♭ down to D. Gm7 on piano
F7 is a dominant seventh chord: a major triad with a flattened seventh on top. Use F7 where you want motion: it leans toward the chord a fifth below and turns up on almost every blues. Play it solid and then broken to hear the difference.
A short F7 drill
Roll the chord up and back down, F, A, C, E♭, C, A, F, before playing it as a block. Finish with the inversions in order: F–A–C–E♭; A–C–E♭–F; C–E♭–F–A; E♭–F–A–C.
The keys of F7
F7 is a dominant seventh chord, 1–3–5–♭7 from F. Root position, from the bottom: how F7 is built.
| Note | Key | Fingers | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| F | white key | RH 1 · LH 5 | root |
| A | white key | RH 2 · LH 3 | major third |
| C | white key | RH 3 · LH 2 | perfect fifth |
| E♭ | black key | RH 5 · LH 1 | minor seventh |
Keys and progressions with F7
In F major, I7–IV7–V7 (12 bars) on piano is F7 (F–A–C–E♭), B♭7 (B♭–D–F–A♭) and C7 (C–E–G–B♭). About the 12-bar blues.
In B♭ major, ii–V–I on piano is Cm7 (C–E♭–G–B♭), F7 (F–A–C–E♭) and B♭maj7 (B♭–D–F–A). About the jazz cadence.
F7 on guitar and ukulele
Switching instruments? Try F7 on ukulele or F7 on guitar, or compare them on the F7 chord page.
Related F chords on piano
Other dominant seventh chords
F7 on piano: questions
What notes are in F7 on piano?
F, A, C and E♭: F (white key), A (white key), C (white key) and E♭ (black key). Right hand 1-2-3-5, left hand 5-3-2-1.
How do you play F7 on piano?
Press F, A, C and E♭ together (1 black, 3 white). Right hand: 1 on F, 2 on A, 3 on C and 5 on E♭.
What are the inversions of F7?
1st inversion (A–C–E♭–F), 2nd inversion (C–E♭–F–A) and 3rd inversion (E♭–F–A–C), after root position (F–A–C–E♭). Only the lowest note changes.
What does F7 look like on the keyboard?
white, white, white and black keys, the same pattern as C7, so one hand shape covers all of them.
Every shape above plays only F, A, C and E♭, checked by the site's tests. Updated September 2026.