F7
F Dominant 7th — the engine of harmonic motion — the tritone between its third and seventh drives resolution down a fifth.
The keys
F – A – C – E♭
What's inside F7
| Note | Interval from root | Degree |
|---|---|---|
| F | Root | 1 |
| A | Major 3rd | 3 |
| C | Perfect 5th | 5 |
| E♭ | Minor 7th | b7 |
Inversions
| Position | Keys (low → high) |
|---|---|
| Root position | F4 – A4 – C5 – E♭5 |
| 1st inversion | A4 – C5 – E♭5 – F5 |
| 2nd inversion | C5 – E♭5 – F5 – A5 |
| 3rd inversion | E♭5 – F5 – A5 – C6 |
A working voicing
Split the chord between two hands the way working players do — a solid shell low down, the colour tones up top:
| Hand | Keys |
|---|---|
| Left (shell) | F2 – E♭3 |
| Right (colour) | A4 – C5 |
Where F7 lives
Resolving down a fifth
F7 → B♭
The defining dominant move: the tritone inside this chord releases onto the chord a fifth below.
In a ii–V–I
Cm7 → F7 → B♭maj7
This chord as the V — the engine of the most-used cadence in music.
Put F7 under your fingers
Hear every voicing, see the keys light up, and drill it in the interactive Chord & Voicing Lab.
Open the Chord & Voicing Lab →