Chord · B Dominant 7th
B7 Chord
B7 is B, D#, F# and A — tense; wants to resolve down a fifth. Blues and jazz workhorse.
B7 on every instrument
The same 4 notes, 6 sets of hands. Open a diagram for alternate shapes, audio and the mistakes to avoid.
What B7 is made of
B7 (B seventh) is built from the notes B, D#, F#, A, with the interval pattern 1, 3, 5, b7.
Stack 1, 3, 5 and b7 on a root of B and you get B, D#, F# and A. That interval recipe is what makes the chord a seventh chord — move the same shape to another root and the character travels with it, which is why C7 sounds like a transposed B7.
Dominant 7th: Tense; wants to resolve down a fifth. Blues and jazz workhorse.
Spelling: the notes above are written the way a score would write them, not simplified to the nearest piano key. That is why this chord is spelled with D♯ rather than its enharmonic equivalent.
Keys that contain B7
All 4 notes sit inside the scale of 2 keys. The roman numeral marks the degree the chord is rooted on.
Major keys
Minor keys
Other chords on B
Same root, different colour.
The same seventh shape, moved
The identical interval recipe, built on other roots.
Questions people ask about B7
- What notes are in the B7 chord?
- B7 is made of B, D#, F# and A — the 1, 3, 5 and b7 degrees of a seventh chord built on B.
- What keys use the B7 chord?
- Every note of B7 belongs to 2 keys: E Major (V), C# Minor (VII). The roman numeral is the scale degree the chord is rooted on.
- How do you play B7 on guitar and piano?
- This page shows B7 on guitar, piano, ukulele, bass, mandolin and banjo — 15 voicings in total. Each diagram links to the full instrument page with alternate shapes, audio and common mistakes.
Learn the theory behind it
Why B7 behaves the way it does — the guides that explain the chord instead of just spelling it.