B7 Piano Chord

B7 is the B dominant seventh chord. It has four notes: B, D sharp, F sharp and A. Two of them are black keys, and the outer two are white.

1B2D♯3F♯5AC3C4

B at the bottom, then D♯ and F♯ and A. Right hand 1-2-3-5, left hand 5-3-2-1. The black keys are D♯ and F♯.

How to play B7 on piano, step by step

  1. Start on the B below middle C. That is the lowest note of the chord.
  2. Thumb (1): B
  3. Index finger (2): D♯
  4. Middle finger (3): F♯
  5. Little finger (5): A
  6. Press them together with the right hand. The left hand plays the same notes with fingers 5, 3, 2, 1 an octave lower, or just B on its own as a bass note.

B7 leads to E, which makes it one of the most used chords in blues and rock, where E is the home key more often than any other.

Inversions of B7

The same 4 notes with a different one at the bottom. All of them are B7; which you play depends on what the hand is coming from. Tap any card to hear it.

First inversionD♯ F♯ A B
B7 piano chord diagram, first inversion, D♯ F♯ A B
Lighter than root position and less final. A third in the bass tips the chord forward, which is why it usually sits between two other chords rather than at the end of a line.
Second inversionF♯ A B D♯
B7 piano chord diagram, second inversion, F♯ A B D♯
Open and slightly unresolved. A fifth in the bass makes the chord sound like a step on the way somewhere, which is mostly how it is used.
Third inversionA B D♯ F♯
B7 piano chord diagram, third inversion, A B D♯ F♯
The most restless of the four. The seventh is the note that wants to move, and putting it underneath the whole chord makes that pull impossible to miss.

If it sounds wrong

The chord sounds sad
The second note is D sharp, the black key to the right of D. D natural would give Bm7.
The middle fingers keep slipping
Both sit on black keys while the outer two are on white ones. Let the hand tilt and sit further into the keyboard rather than fighting to keep it level.
The top note is A sharp
It has to be A natural. A sharp would give Bmaj7, which does not pull anywhere.

What makes it a B7

B · D♯ · F♯ · A 1 3 5 ♭7

B7 is a B major triad, B D sharp F sharp, with an A added on top: the flat seventh.

It is the V7 of E, and the V chord of a blues in E. That single job accounts for most of the times a pianist ever plays it.

B7 vs B

B7 is B major with an A on top. B is a resting chord; B7 pulls to E.

Because E is such a common key in guitar music, B7 is the far more familiar of the two, even though it has one more note to find.

Questions about B7

Which notes are in a B7 chord on piano?

B, D sharp, F sharp and A. D sharp and F sharp are black keys; B and A are white.

What fingers do you use for B7?

Right hand: thumb on B, index on D sharp, middle on F sharp, little finger on A. Left hand: 5, 3, 2, 1.

Where is the B7 chord used?

As the V7 of E and the V chord in a blues in E. In songs in E, B7 is the chord that leads home.

What is the difference between B7 and Bm7?

The second note. B7 has D sharp and drives forward; Bm7 has D natural and sounds soft.

Is B7 hard on piano?

Two black keys in the middle means the hand sits further in than usual, but nothing stretches. It is much easier than the guitar version.

Chords to learn next

Other B chords