B7 Chord on Piano
B7 = B – D# – F# – A (Root, Major 3rd, Perfect 5th, Minor 7th)
B7 is the chord piano players accompanying guitarists meet constantly, since it's the V7 of E major, one of the guitar's most-loved open keys. Spelled B, D#, F#, and A, it adds a white-key seventh onto the two-black-key B major triad, so the four-note chord still requires nothing more than the same D# and F# the plain triad already needed.
The hand keeps its familiar middle-and-pinky reach for D# and F# while extending further down to the white A — a four-note shape that asks for no new hand geometry beyond what the triad already established. The tritone between D# and A is what drives the restlessness, the identical interval relationship found in every dominant seventh regardless of root. Because E major is such a favored guitar key, B7-to-E resolutions turn up constantly in rock, folk, and pop piano parts written to sit alongside that instrument, making B7 one of the more frequently played four-note chords for accompanists. Singer-songwriters performing in E also frequently ask a keyboard player to fill in B7 during instrumental breaks, since the chord telegraphs an approaching return to the tonic clearly even without lyrics to signal it.
Voicings
Root Position
1st Inversion
How to Practice It
Add A on top of the B major triad you already know, choosing whichever finger feels most natural given your existing D# and F# placement, and check that the added reach doesn't force the hand out of position. Practice resolving into E major repeatedly, slowing down deliberately on the B7 itself so the tritone's pull has time to register before release. Since B7 adds no new black key beyond B major, it's a good candidate for practicing dominant sevenths at a brisker tempo once the underlying triad feels secure.
Common Progressions
- B7 – E (V7 – I in E major), the resolution guitar accompanists lean on constantly
- B7 – E – A – E (V7 – I – IV – I in E major), stretching that resolution into a short phrase
- E – B7 – E (I – V7 – I), B7 working as a turnaround back to E
- B7 – B7 – B7 – B7, a looped static tonic-color chord rather than a dominant in transit
- C#m – F# – B7 (ii – V/V – V7 in E major), stacked dominants tightening the pull toward E
FAQ
- Why does B7 show up so often in guitar-accompanied piano parts?
- It's the V7 of E major, one of the guitar's most resonant open keys, so songs written in E rely on B7 constantly as the dominant chord that sets up the return home.
- Does B7 require more black keys than plain B major?
- No — the added A is a white key, so both chords use the same two raised keys, D# and F#, keeping B7 comparatively easy to reach.
- What creates B7's pull toward E major?
- The tritone between D# and A, the chord's third and flattened seventh — the same unstable interval behind every dominant seventh regardless of which root it's built on.
- Why do keyboard players fill in B7 during instrumental breaks in E?
- The chord clearly telegraphs an approaching return to the tonic, giving listeners a harmonic cue that the song is heading home even without lyrics signaling the moment.
- Does B7 require any new black-key reach beyond B major?
- No — the added note, A, is a white key, so B7 uses exactly the same two raised keys, D# and F#, that the plain triad already needs.
- Is B7 common in classical repertoire beyond guitar-adjacent pop?
- Yes — as the V7 of E major, it turns up constantly in classical and choral works centered on that key, doing the identical harmonic job it performs in rock and folk contexts.
- How difficult is B7 compared to a chord like E7?
- About the same overall — both need only the same two black keys as their plain triads, differing only in root, so the shape transfers quickly once one feels comfortable.
- Is B7 useful for practicing tritone recognition by ear?
- Yes — isolating just its third and seventh, D# and A, is a clear way to hear the exact interval that gives every dominant seventh chord its restless quality.
- Does B7 ever function as a secondary dominant?
- Yes — it can briefly tonicize E in the middle of a progression built around a different key, giving a passage a moment of extra forward pull.
B7 on other instruments: B7 on Guitar, B7 on Ukulele. Related: how chords are built, chord finder.