Ukulele · Level 4 · Beginner
Dominant seventh chords in D major on Ukulele
Don’t just read about Dominant seventh chords in D 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.
D7
Notes: D · F♯ · A · C
G7
Notes: G · B · D · F
A7
Notes: A · C♯ · E · G
HOW TO PRACTISE IT
Six steps to a clean loop.
- Play each chord on its own: D7, G7 and A7. Press play on the chord card, then match the sound.
- Use light pressure; the ukulele's nylon strings need far less force than steel.
- 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, then add an up-strum between beats with a loose wrist.
- 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.
D major has 2 sharps; its relative minor key is B minor.
Questions
What are the chords in I7–IV7–V7 in D major?
In D major the progression is D7 | D7 | G7 | G7 | D7 | D7 | A7 | D7.
What is the key signature of D major?
D major has 2 sharps. Its relative minor is B 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”.
Your hands learn faster than your eyes.
Reading a chord chart is step one. Play it to a metronome, record it, and hear yourself get better, all in one app.
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