B7 Chord
The B7 chord contains B, D sharp, F sharp, A, played together. It is a major triad with a minor seventh added: the symbol has a plain 7, not maj7. Hear it on its own, then play E major to hear one common way it resolves.
- Notes: B-D sharp-F sharp-A
- Formula: 1-3-5-flat 7
- V7 in E major
What notes are in B7?
Start with B major: B, D sharp, F sharp. Add A, a minor seventh above the root. The complete spelling is B-D sharp-F sharp-A. Counting upward from the root gives 1-3-5-flat 7. The flat in the formula describes a seventh lowered from the major scale; it does not mean that the written note must always have a flat sign.
D sharp is the leading tone into E. That small move becomes easy to hear when you play B7 and E one after the other.
Where are its inversions on the piano?
Play the four notes together, then move only the lowest note up an octave each time:
- Root position: B-D sharp-F sharp-A, with B lowest.
- First inversion: D sharp-F sharp-A-B, with D sharp lowest.
- Second inversion: F sharp-A-B-D sharp, with F sharp lowest.
- Third inversion: A-B-D sharp-F sharp, with A lowest.
Each version still contains the same four pitch classes. The bass position changes, so the chord may feel lighter or heavier even though its name stays B7. A slash symbol specifies the actual bass note in an arrangement; Chord Inversions explains the distinction.
Why does B7 lead to E?
In E major, B7 is the V7 chord. Its third, D sharp, can rise a half step to E; its seventh, A, can fall a half step to G sharp. Try playing just those two notes, then the two destination notes, before adding the other chord tones. You can hear the small voice movements more clearly than when you move two full chords at once.
That is a common resolution, not a rule for every use of B7. A dominant-seventh chord may also appear in blues or lead temporarily to another chord. Dominant Seventh Chord explains why the chord name and its harmonic job are related but not identical.
How is B7 different from Bmaj7?
Keep B, D sharp, F sharp and raise only A by one semitone to hear Bmaj7. The triad remains major, but the top interval changes. Alternate the two at the same volume, then return to B7 and resolve it to E major. That three-part comparison makes the extra pull of the minor seventh easier to recognize than a sound adjective alone. See Bmaj7 Chord for the other spelling and its own inversions.
Try it without looking
Find the root, build a major triad, and add a note a whole step below the next octave of the root. Play B7, sing its seventh, and move that sung note down to G sharp. Then play the full E major chord. Repeat from the first inversion until you can still hear the resolution with a different note at the bottom.