A seventh chord (A7)

A seventh is a 4-note dominant seventh chord: A – C♯ – E – G. It sounds tense: it wants to resolve to another chord. Here it is on guitar, piano and ukulele, with fingering and audio.

NotesA – C♯ – E – G
Formula1 – 3 – 5 – ♭7
SymbolA7 · Adom7
TypeDominant seventh chord

A seventh on guitar

Open position
Barre at fret 5 (E shape)

How to place your fingers (open position)

Finger 2 (middle) on fret 2 of the 4th string (D).
Finger 3 (ring) on fret 2 of the 2nd string (B).
The 5th, 3rd and 1st strings are open.
Do not play the 6th string: strum from the 5th.

The numbers inside the dots are the fingers of your left hand: 1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring and 4 pinky. The colored dots mark the root (A). The other positions let you change chords without jumping along the neck, or give you a higher-pitched sound.

A seventh on piano

In root position, play A – C♯ – E – G from bottom to top with fingers 1, 2, 3 and 5 of your right hand. With your left hand you usually play just the root (A) or the root and the fifth.

Inversions

First inversion: C♯ – E – G – A
Second inversion: E – G – A – C♯
Third inversion: G – A – C♯ – E

A seventh on ukulele

Open position
From fret 2

Standard tuning G – C – E – A (the G string is the high one). Is your ukulele in tune? Use the ukulele tuner.

Notes and intervals of A seventh

A1 · root
C♯3 · major third
E5 · perfect fifth
G♭7 · minor seventh

It's the dominant chord (V7): it sets up the arrival at the tonic and is the foundation of blues, son and many song endings.

Progressions with A7

A dominant that resolves: V7 – I

A7
D

A7 is the fifth degree of D major: its tension wants to resolve to D.

The ii–V–I: ii7 – V7 – Imaj7

The most common cadence in jazz and bossa nova.

Which keys contain A seventh?

A7 belongs to 2 keys: in each one it plays a different role depending on the degree (the Roman numeral).

Key	Degree
D major	V7
B natural minor	VII7

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the A seventh chord?

A seventh (A7) has 4 notes: A (root), C♯ (major third), E (perfect fifth), G (minor seventh).

How do you play A seventh on guitar?

The easiest shape is in open position: x 0 2 0 2 0 (from the 6th to the 1st string). Place finger 2 (middle finger) at fret 2 on the 4th string (D). Place finger 3 (ring finger) at fret 2 on the 2nd string (B). The 5th, 3rd, and 1st strings are open. Don't play the 6th string: strum from the 5th.

How do you write A seventh as a chord symbol?

It is written A7; you may also see Adom7. Letter notation uses C, D, E, F, G, A, and B for the notes do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, and si, respectively.

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