Chord · A Dominant 7th
A7 Chord
A7 is A, C#, E and G — tense; wants to resolve down a fifth. Blues and jazz workhorse.
A7 on every instrument
The same 4 notes, 6 sets of hands. Open a diagram for alternate shapes, audio and the mistakes to avoid.
What A7 is made of
A7 (A seventh) is built from the notes A, C#, E, G, with the interval pattern 1, 3, 5, b7.
Stack 1, 3, 5 and b7 on a root of A and you get A, C#, E and G. That interval recipe is what makes the chord a seventh chord — move the same shape to another root and the character travels with it, which is why C7 sounds like a transposed A7.
Dominant 7th: Tense; wants to resolve down a fifth. Blues and jazz workhorse.
Spelling: the notes above are written the way a score would write them, not simplified to the nearest piano key. That is why this chord is spelled with C♯ rather than its enharmonic equivalent.
Keys that contain A7
All 4 notes sit inside the scale of 2 keys. The roman numeral marks the degree the chord is rooted on.
Major keys
Minor keys
Other chords on A
Same root, different colour.
The same seventh shape, moved
The identical interval recipe, built on other roots.
Questions people ask about A7
- What notes are in the A7 chord?
- A7 is made of A, C#, E and G — the 1, 3, 5 and b7 degrees of a seventh chord built on A.
- What keys use the A7 chord?
- Every note of A7 belongs to 2 keys: D Major (V), B Minor (VII). The roman numeral is the scale degree the chord is rooted on.
- How do you play A7 on guitar and piano?
- This page shows A7 on guitar, piano, ukulele, bass, mandolin and banjo — 15 voicings in total. Each diagram links to the full instrument page with alternate shapes, audio and common mistakes.
Learn the theory behind it
Why A7 behaves the way it does — the guides that explain the chord instead of just spelling it.