AdvancedDominant 7th

D7 Chord

The D7 is a dominant 7th chord that sounds bluesy, tense, and yearning to resolve. Dominant 7th chords are the engine of blues and jazz. Their inherent tension wants to resolve, making them perfect for transitions and turnarounds.

Notes:DRoot (1)F#Major 3rd (3)APerfect 5th (5)CMinor 7th (b7)

Open Position

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Chord Diagrams

Position — Fret 10

Uses a barre chord technique

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Barre Shape — Fret 5

Uses a barre chord technique

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How to Play D7

Follow these steps for the open position fingering:

Barre technique: Press your index finger flat across all strings at fret 10 to form the barre, then add the remaining fingers on top.
#StringInstructionNote
1Low E (6th string)Fret 10 with your index fingerD
2A (5th string)Fret 12 with your ring fingerF#
3D (4th string)Fret 12 with your pinky fingerA
4G (3rd string)Fret 11 with your middle fingerC
5B (2nd string)Fret 10 with your index fingerD
6High E (1st string)Fret 10 with your index fingerF#

= Open string (no fingers needed)

= Muted string (don't play)

= Press your finger down firmly just behind the fret

Notes in D7

The D7 chord is built from 4 distinct notes, each serving a harmonic role:

D
Root (1)
The root — gives the chord its name
F#
Major 3rd (3)
The major third — creates the bright sound
A
Perfect 5th (5)
The fifth — adds power and stability
C
Minor 7th (b7)
Extended tone — adds richness and color

Songs Using D7

These songs from our play-along library feature the D7 chord:

Other D Chords

Explore other chord types built on the same root note:

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Explore on Fretboard

See where D7 appears across the entire guitar neck in our interactive explorer.

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