F#7 Chord on Piano
F#7 = F# – A# – C# – E (Root, Major 3rd, Perfect 5th, Minor 7th)
Take F# major's fully elevated triad and add a fourth note, E, and something unusual happens: the new note is a white key, giving F#7 the notes F#, A#, C#, and E — three raised keys and, for the first time in this chord family, a single flat landing spot for the seventh. As a dominant seventh, F#7 is the V7 of B, resolving with equal conviction to either B major or B minor, and it's a frequent pivot chord in the sharp-heavy keys that guitar and orchestral string writing gravitate toward.
Only the pinky leaves the black-key cluster here, dropping to the white E while the thumb, middle finger, and ring finger stay elevated on F#, A#, and C# — a noticeably different reach from the fully-black triad this chord extends. The pull toward resolution comes from the tritone between A# and E, the chord's third and flattened seventh, the same unstable interval behind every dominant seventh regardless of root. B major sits comfortably for strings and voice, so F#7 shows up constantly preparing that resolution in orchestral and choral writing, and because B minor shares the identical dominant, the same four notes can just as easily set up the darker destination. Its enharmonic identity as Gb7 also appears occasionally in flat-heavy jazz charts, though B and its relative minor are by far the more common destinations pianists will meet.
Voicings
Root Position
1st Inversion
How to Practice It
Start from the F# major triad already under your fingers and extend just the pinky down to the white E, rather than reaching for another black key — that's the one new physical habit this chord asks for. Practice resolving into both B major and B minor in turn, so your ear learns that this exact shape doesn't commit to either destination until the following chord decides for it. Because three of the four fingers stay elevated while only one drops to white, this chord is also a useful drill for quick transitions between compact, raised-hand positions and a single flatter landing spot.
Common Progressions
- F#7 – B (V7 – I in B major), resolving cleanly to the bright tonic
- F#7 – Bm (V7 – i in B minor), the identical shape resolving darker instead
- B – F#7 – B (I – V7 – I), F#7 working as a turnaround back to B major
- C#m – F#7 – Bm (iv – V7 – i in B minor), a harmonic-minor-flavored cadence
- G#m – C#m – F#7 – B (ii – iii – V7 – I in B major), a longer build toward the bright tonic
FAQ
- Can F#7 resolve to a minor chord?
- Yes — as a dominant seventh, F#7 pulls just as convincingly toward B minor as toward B major, since both tonics share the same dominant.
- How many raised keys does F#7 need?
- Three — F#, A#, and C#. Only the seventh, E, is a white key, the reverse of most dominant sevenths in this set, where black keys are usually the minority.
- Why does F#7 appear so often in string and choral writing?
- It resolves to B, a key that sits comfortably for both voice and strings, so classical and orchestral repertoire built around B major or B minor leans on F#7 constantly as the preparing dominant.
- Does this chord ever appear under a flat spelling?
- Occasionally as Gb7 in flat-heavy jazz charts, though B major and B minor remain by far the more common destinations pianists will actually encounter this shape resolving toward.
- Is F#7 harder to play than a chord like C7 or G7?
- Physically, yes — the hand sits noticeably higher and more compact here than in C7 or G7's mostly flat, white-key positions, despite the harmonic function being identical across all three.
- Does F#7 ever function as a secondary dominant?
- Yes — a songwriter can borrow it briefly to point toward B for a beat or two, even while the surrounding passage is really centered on an unrelated key.
- Is F#7 common in string quartet or choral repertoire?
- It shows up whenever a piece is centered on B major or B minor, both comfortable keys for strings and voice, making F#7 a regular part of the harmonic vocabulary in that repertoire.
- Is F#7 hard for a student who already knows B7?
- Not especially — since the two chords are close dominant relatives sharing a similar hand feel, familiarity with one speeds up learning the other considerably.
F#7 on other instruments: F#7 on Guitar, F#7 on Ukulele. Related: how chords are built, chord finder.