F dominant 7th chord on piano

The F dominant 7th chord is F–A–C–Eb. Tap the keys below to hear it.

F7F · A · C · Eb

Tap the keys to hear them

Inversion

F7 is the V7 of Bb, with an Eb on top of the F triad doing the pulling. It is the IV7 in a C blues, the chord of bar five.

How the F dominant 7th chord is built

F dominant 7th piano chord diagram: F, A, C, Eb highlighted on the keyboard with right-hand fingering
F7 in root position: F – A – C – EbDownload the diagram ↓

Fingerings & inversions

Standard fingerings use the thumb (1), the little finger (5), and either the index (2) or middle finger (3). Hand size and musical context change what feels natural. Switch Fingers on above to see 1-2-3-5 land for F7.

PositionNotes (bottom → top)Right handLeft hand
Root positionF – A – C – Eb1-2-3-55-3-2-1
1st inversionA – C – Eb – F1-2-4-55-4-2-1
2nd inversionC – Eb – F – A1-2-3-55-3-2-1
3rd inversionEb – F – A – C1-2-4-55-3-2-1

Inversion diagrams

The inversion buttons above play all 4 shapes of F7.

F dominant 7th 1st inversion piano chord diagram: A, C, Eb, FF dominant 7th 2nd inversion piano chord diagram: C, Eb, F, A

Where F7 shows up

F7 exists to point at Bb: the tritone between its third and its seventh, A against Eb, resolves outward into the Bb triad.

Hear it drive a 12-bar blues in F: F7–Bb7–C7.

Common questions

What notes are in the F dominant 7th chord?

The F dominant 7th chord is made up of F, A, C, Eb. Eb, the black key between D and E, is the only raised note in the shape; F and A and C stay white.

What fingers should I use to play F7 on piano?

In root position, the standard fingering is 1-2-3-5 in the right hand and 5-3-2-1 in the left hand (1 = thumb, 5 = little finger). F7 puts finger 5 on Eb, the chord's only black key.

What's the difference between F7 and Fmaj7?

F7 has a minor 7th on top, Eb, which makes it sound restless and ready to resolve. Fmaj7 raises that note a half step, which sounds settled and warm instead. Same F–A–C triad underneath, one note apart, very different jobs.

Try these next

Chords from the same key, labelled by their relationship to F7.

All piano chords →
Matthew Dickman, composer, arranger & music educator

Reviewed by

Matthew Dickman

Composer, arranger and music educator. BA Music (LIPA), MA Composition (University of Salford).

Last updated 2026-08-19