C dominant 7th arpeggio — fingering and practice
The C dominant 7th arpeggio plays the notes of the C7 chord one after another: C, E, G and B♭, through each octave and back down. The right hand plays it with fingers 1-2-3-4-5 going up.
- C7
- C E G B♭
About this exercise
It belongs to the key of the F major scale.
A dominant 7th adds the minor seventh above the root, which pulls towards the key a fifth below.
In major keys it is V7 in F major. In natural minor keys it is VII7 in D minor.
Right-hand fingering going up: 1-2-3-4-5. Left hand going up: 5-4-3-2-1. Coming down, reverse the fingering. The sheet music view shows a finger on every note.
Keep the wrist level and let the thumb move under smoothly, so the arpeggio sounds even. Start with one hand in Wait mode, then play both hands an octave apart and raise the speed gradually.
Fingering, one octave going up
| Note | C | E | G | B♭ | C |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Right hand | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Left hand | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
Questions and answers
What notes are in the C dominant 7th arpeggio?
The C dominant 7th arpeggio uses the notes of the C7 chord: C, E, G and B♭.
What is the fingering for the C dominant 7th arpeggio?
Going up one octave, the right hand plays 1-2-3-4-5 and the left hand plays 5-4-3-2-1. Coming down, reverse the fingers.
Which keys is the C7 chord in?
In major keys it is V7 in F major. In natural minor keys it is VII7 in D minor.