Piano chord

A Dominant 7th Piano Chord (A7)

The A Dominant 7th chord on piano is made of the notes A, C♯, E and G. Bluesy and strong pull toward resolution. Foundation of blues and jazz.

A Dominant 7th chord on a piano keyboard: A, C♯, E, G C5C6 A C♯ E G

A7 A – C♯ – E – G

Tap any key to hear it.

Name any chord from its keys in the chord finder →

What notes are in A Dominant 7th?

4 notes, built 1 – 3 – 5 – ♭7 up from A.

Notes
A – C♯ – E – G
Formula
1 – 3 – 5 – ♭7
Semitones from the root
0 – 4 – 7 – 10
Symbol
A7
Chord type
Dominant 7th, 4 notes

How to play A Dominant 7th on piano

  • Right hand: A (1), C♯ (2), E (3), G (5). Fingers 1 – 2 – 3 – 5, thumb on A.
  • Left hand: A (5), C♯ (3), E (2), G (1). Fingers 5 – 3 – 2 – 1, little finger on A.

Fingers are numbered 1 (thumb) to 5 (little finger) on both hands.

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A Dominant 7th inversions

Each inversion puts a different note of the chord in the bass. Written as a slash chord: A7/C♯, A7/E, A7/G.

A Dominant 7th root position on piano: A, C♯, E, G A C♯ E G
Root position A7 A – C♯ – E – G RH 1 – 2 – 3 – 5 · LH 5 – 3 – 2 – 1
A Dominant 7th 1st inversion on piano: C♯, E, G, A C♯ E G A
1st inversion A7/C♯ C♯ – E – G – A RH 1 – 2 – 3 – 5 · LH 5 – 3 – 2 – 1
A Dominant 7th 2nd inversion on piano: E, G, A, C♯ E G A C♯
2nd inversion A7/E E – G – A – C♯ RH 1 – 2 – 3 – 5 · LH 5 – 3 – 2 – 1
A Dominant 7th 3rd inversion on piano: G, A, C♯, E G A C♯ E
3rd inversion A7/G G – A – C♯ – E RH 1 – 2 – 3 – 5 · LH 5 – 3 – 2 – 1

Progressions with A Dominant 7th

Press play: the chords move across the keyboard as they sound, voiced so your hand barely moves.

ii–V–I

in D major

  1. ii7 Em7
  2. V7 A7
  3. Imaj7 Dmaj7
ii–V–I in D major: Em7, A7, Dmaj7 B D E G

Minor cadence

in D minor

  1. i Dm
  2. iv Gm
  3. V7 A7
  4. i Dm
Minor cadence in D minor: Dm, Gm, A7, Dm D F A

Can you find A Dominant 7th?

Tap the notes on the keyboard, then check. Six chords, starting with this one.

1 / 6 Tap the notes of A Dominant 7th (A7)

Score 0

Any octave, any order. Each key you tap plays.

Practice keyboard: tap the notes of the chord

What key is A Dominant 7th in?

The keys whose scale contains every note of A7, with the chord’s Roman numeral in each.

Major keys

  • D majorV7

Minor keys

  • D minorV7 (harmonic minor)
  • B minorVII7

A Dominant 7th chord FAQ

What notes are in the A Dominant 7th chord?

A Dominant 7th (A7) has 4 notes: A, C♯, E and G. Its formula is 1 – 3 – 5 – ♭7, counted up from A.

How do you play A Dominant 7th on the piano?

Put your right thumb on A and play A, C♯, E and G with fingers 1 – 2 – 3 – 5. With the left hand, use fingers 5 – 3 – 2 – 1, little finger on A.

What are the inversions of A Dominant 7th?

1st inversion: C♯, E, G, A (A7/C♯). 2nd inversion: E, G, A, C♯ (A7/E). 3rd inversion: G, A, C♯, E (A7/G).

What key is A Dominant 7th in?

A7 belongs to D major (V7) and B minor (VII7).

Other A chords

Dominant 7th chords on every root

Piano chord chart: all 264 chords Open A7 in the chord finder Free PDF chord chart Play it on the virtual piano