Package leaflet · Information for the musician · Chord
F Dominant Seventh Chord (F7)
Bluesy, tense and driving. A major triad with a flat seventh: the tritone between the third and seventh wants to resolve.
- F7
- 4 notes
- 131211
1Composition: what it contains
F – A – C – E♭
- Symbol
- F7
- Also written
- F7, Fdom7
- Formula
- 1 3 5 ♭7
| Degree | Note | Interval | Semitones |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | F | unison | 0 |
| 3 | A | major third | 4 |
| 5 | C | perfect fifth | 7 |
| ♭7 | E♭ | minor seventh | 10 |
2Appearance: diagrams and sound
On the guitar
131211fret 1
xx3545fret 3
x-8-10-8-10-8fret 8
13-12-10-10-10-11fret 10
13-15-13-14-13-13fret 13On the ukulele
2310open position
5556fret 5
8988fret 8On the piano
On the staff
On bass and as an arpeggio
3Indications: what it is used for
The V7 chord of a major or minor key, resolving to I or i: the most important cadence in tonal music. In blues, every chord (I7, IV7, V7) is a dominant seventh, used as a stable colour rather than tension. Secondary dominants (V7/ii, V7/V...) create chromatic movement, and tritone substitution replaces a V7 with the dominant seventh a tritone away. It is fundamental in jazz, blues, funk, rock and roll, gospel and classical music.
4Dosage: how to practise it
On guitar, learn the open shapes, the barre shapes rooted on the sixth and fifth strings, and shell voicings (root, third, seventh). On piano, play the chord in all inversions, then practise V7–I with the third resolving up a half step and the seventh resolving down. Play a twelve-bar blues with dominant sevenths at 80–120 BPM with a shuffle feel. Arpeggiate 1-3-5-♭7 on bass. Practise ii–V–I loops for ten minutes daily.
5Warnings and common mistakes
The symbol '7' alone means a dominant seventh (flat seventh), not a major seventh: this is the most common chord-symbol mistake. Do not confuse it with maj7 or m7. In voicings, omit the fifth rather than the third or seventh, which define the chord. The tritone between third and seventh should resolve properly in classical writing; parallel dominants are fine in blues. Avoid playing the root note of the next chord on top in a way that hides the resolution.
6Interactions with chords, scales and keys
Inversions
- Inversion 1 · F7/A · A – C – E♭ – F
- Inversion 2 · F7/C · C – E♭ – F – A
- Inversion 3 · F7/E♭ · E♭ – F – A – C
Scales to play over F7
- F Mixolydian Mode
- F Half-Whole Diminished Scale
- F Phrygian Dominant Scale
- F Lydian Dominant Scale
- F Bebop Dominant Scale
Where it appears (keys and Roman numerals)
7Other presentations available
The same chord from every note
C7 C♯7 D7 E♭7 E7 F♯7 G7 A♭7 A7 B♭7 B7
Other chords on F
F Fm Fdim Faug Fsus2 Fsus4 F5 F6 Fm6 Fmaj7 Fm7 Fm7♭5 Fdim7 Fm(maj7) F7sus4 Fadd9 Fm(add9) F6/9 F9 Fmaj9 Fm9 F11 Fm11 F13 F7♭9 F7♯9 F7♯5 F7♭5
Read this leaflet carefully before playing. Keep it near your instrument. Free to use, print and share for personal and educational use.