B7 Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The B7 chord is a dominant seventh chord built on the root note B. Its notes are B, D♯, F♯ and A.
Dominant seventh chords sound tense and bluesy. The minor seventh on top of a major triad creates a pull toward a resolution, which is why this chord powers the blues and drives cadences in jazz and pop.
B7 on piano
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
To play B7 on piano, place your right-hand thumb on B, then index, middle and little finger on D♯, F♯ and A. Press the keys together and listen for an even sound. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
B7 on guitar
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, B7 is commonly played with the voicing shown above. Strum only the strings marked as active in the diagram.
Play the chord
B7 chord notes
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | B |
| 3 | Major third | 4 | D♯(D#) |
| 5 | Perfect fifth | 7 | F♯(F#) |
| ♭7 | Minor seventh | 10 | A |
How to use the B7 chord
The B7 chord is built from a root, a major third, a perfect fifth and a minor seventh. Start at the root B and stack the intervals to get the whole chord: B, D♯, F♯ and A. The same formula gives you the chord in any other key.
Blues, jazz, funk and rock'n'roll all run on dominant seventh chords. They typically act as the V7 resolving back to the tonic, or carry a twelve-bar blues from end to end.
Common progressions
The B7 chord works beautifully in these progressions. Click a chord name to jump to its page.
Related chords to B7
Once B7 feels comfortable, the chords below open up new progressions. Each one shares notes, keys or a harmonic function with it, which is what makes it the natural place to go next.
Frequently asked questions
What notes are in the B7 chord?
Is the B7 chord major or minor?
How do you play B7 on piano?
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What chords work well with B7?
Keep exploring
Deepen your understanding of the B7 chord with our other music theory tools.