F seven chordF7

Built from

• Froot
• Amajor 3rd
• C5th
• E♭flat 7th

The flat 7th rubs against the major 3rd, and that tension wants to resolve.

Hear it in a progression

• ii–V–I

  The backbone of jazz. In B♭ major.

  Capo and transpose

  1. Cm7ii7
  2. F7V7
  3. B♭maj7Imaj7
  4. B♭maj7Imaj7

• Blues opening

  The first four bars of a twelve-bar blues. In F major.

  Capo and transpose

  1. F7I7
  2. B♭7IV7
  3. F7I7
  4. F7I7

Where it goes next

Thinking in B♭ major, where it is the V7 chord.

• B♭maj7

  Imaj7. The strongest pull in music: tension resolving home.

• Gm7

  vi7. The fake-out: you expect home, you get the relative minor.

Sounds close

• Cdim7

  Shares 3 of its notes. Both have A, C and E♭.

• Dm7

  Shares 3 of its notes. Both have F, A and C.

• B7

  Tritone substitute: swaps in for it in jazz. Both have A and E♭.

• Cm

  Shares 2 of its notes. Both have C and E♭.

Scales that fit

Notes you can play over this chord, simplest first.

• F major pentatonic
• F minor pentatonic
• F blues
• F mixolydian

Keys it lives in

• B♭ majoras V7
• G minoras VII7