D dominant 7 (D7) — D, F♯, A, C — is D major with a minor 7th. The chord is the V7 of G major and the V7 of G minor. On guitar, the open D7 voicing (xx0212) is among the easiest jazz chords; the chord is also a staple of folk and country music.
Intervals
The D dominant 7 chord stacks two thirds on the root. Each interval and its size in semitones:
- D→F#major 3rd4 semitones
- F#→Aminor 3rd3 semitones
- A→Cminor 3rd3 semitones
On the keyboard
Each note of the D dominant 7 chord highlighted on a piano. Pitch class is what matters — any octave works.
On the guitar
One voicing of the D dominant 7 chord on a six-string guitar fretboard.
- 1D
- 3F#
- 5A
- ♭7C
Common mistakes
D7 has C natural as its 7th — a half-step lower than Dmaj7 (which has C♯). Replacing C with C♯ produces Dmaj7 (a totally different chord function). On guitar, the open D7 (xx0212) keeps the bass D, with F♯, A, and C above. The Beatles' "Hey Jude" cadence (F → C → G → D) uses D7 as the closing dominant.
In context
D7 is the V7 of G major (D7 → G is the cadence in every G-major folk and pop tune) and the V7 of G minor. In ii–V–I in G major, the progression runs Am7 → D7 → Gmaj7. D7 is also the centrepiece of the D-major blues — every 12-bar blues in D uses D7, G7, and A7.
Drill it
The D dominant 7 chord is one of 48 in the Chord Trainer. Open the full trainer to practice it alongside related chords with timing and best-time tracking.
Open the Chord Trainer →Or try today's Etudle puzzleRelated
Frequently asked
- What notes are in a D7 chord?
- D7 contains four notes: D (root), F♯ (major third), A (perfect fifth), and C (minor seventh).
- How do you play D7 on guitar?
- The open D7 voicing is xx0212: mute strings 6-5, then open D, A (2nd fret 3rd string), C (1st fret 2nd string), and F♯ (2nd fret 1st string).
- How is D7 different from Dmaj7?
- Only the seventh changes. D7 has C natural; Dmaj7 has C♯. D7 sounds bluesy and pulls toward G; Dmaj7 sits stably as a tonic.
- What pieces use D7?
- Every G-major folk and country song uses D7 as the closing V. The Beatles' "Hey Jude" cadence (F → C → G → D7 → returning to D as resolution moment) leans heavily on D7's pull.