Chord
C 7 Chord
Interactive keyboard
Highlighted notes form this chord.
Notes
C · E · G · B♭
Root: C
Intervals
1 · 3 · 5 · ♭7
How it is built
This chord starts on C and applies the intervals 1, 3, 5, ♭7. The result contains 4 distinct pitch classes per octave.
Explore related combinations
Guide and musical context
About C 7 Chord
C 7 Chord contains C, E, G, B♭. Its sound is tense and strongly directional.
Character and sound
Tense and strongly directional.
Musical context and history
The dominant seventh is central to functional harmony: a major triad plus minor seventh creates a strong tendency to resolve. It is also fundamental to blues and jazz.
How and where it is used
Use it as a dominant that pushes toward another chord, or as a stable groove color in blues, funk and rock.
In Theory view you can hear the pitch collection without depending on a specific fingering. Then switch to Piano, Guitar, Ukulele or Mandolin to see how the same notes are physically distributed on each instrument.
Harmonic and musical relationships
As a dominant sonority on C, a common functional resolution moves toward F. Alterations and extensions change the color while preserving that tension-and-resolution reference.
The formula on this page is 1 · 3 · 5 · ♭7 and, from C, produces the notes C · E · G · B♭.
Frequently asked questions
What notes are in the C 7 Chord?
The notes are C, E, G, B♭.
What is its interval formula?
The formula is 1 · 3 · 5 · ♭7.
How does it sound and what is it used for?
Tense and strongly directional. Use it as a dominant that pushes toward another chord, or as a stable groove color in blues, funk and rock.
Can I view it on a specific instrument?
Yes. Use the selector near the top to switch between Piano, Guitar, Ukulele and Mandolin without changing the musical combination you are studying.