Guitar · Level 4 · Beginner
Dominant seventh chords in A major on Guitar
Don’t just read about Dominant seventh chords in A major. Play it.
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Adding a flat seventh to a major chord gives the bluesy, restless sound of a dominant seventh. Blues players often use it on every chord.
A7
Notes: A · C♯ · E · G
D7
Notes: D · F♯ · A · C
E7
Notes: E · G♯ · B · D
HOW TO PRACTISE IT
Six steps to a clean loop.
- Play each chord on its own: A7, D7 and E7. Press play on the chord card, then match the sound.
- Press just behind the fret with your fingertips and keep the thumb relaxed behind the neck.
- Set the tempo to 57 BPM and play the progression with one chord per bar. Find the seventh in each shape and make sure it is actually sounding.
- Strum down on every beat at first, then try down–down–up–up–down–up.
- Raise the tempo to 76 BPM once you can play the loop three times without stopping.
- Record one take, listen back and check for the slight bite of the seventh against the root.
Listen for
Aim for the slight bite of the seventh against the root. A common mistake is leaving out the seventh so the chord sounds plain major.
Why it works
A dominant seventh contains a tritone between its third and seventh, which creates the urge to resolve.
A major has 3 sharps; its relative minor key is F♯ minor.
Questions
What are the chords in I7–IV7–V7 in A major?
In A major the progression is A7 | A7 | D7 | D7 | A7 | A7 | E7 | A7.
What is the key signature of A major?
A major has 3 sharps. Its relative minor is F♯ minor.
Is this lesson right for my level?
This is a level 4 lesson (beginner). If it feels too hard, start with “The minor pop progression”.
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