A Dominant 7th
Open PositionThe classic open A7 — middle finger on D fret 2, ring on B fret 2, with A, G, and high e strings open. Just two fingers and three open strings. Mute the low E. One of the most natural dominant 7th voicings on guitar.
A Dominant 7th
5th FretE-shape barre chord at fret 5. Barre all six strings at fret 5 with the index; ring on A fret 7, middle on G fret 6. A moveable dominant 7th shape with the root on the low E string.
A Dominant 7th
12th FretA-shape barre chord rooted on A at the 12th fret — the open A7 shape moved up one octave. Barre fret 12 with the index; ring on D fret 14, pinky on B fret 14. Mute the low E.
A Dominant 7th
9th PositionCompact shell voicing on the inner four strings — 3rd (C#) on D fret 11, ♭7th (G) on G fret 12, root (A) on B fret 10, 3rd (C#) on high e fret 9. No barre — captures the tritone tension of A7 cleanly.
A Dominant 7th
7th FretD7-shape moveable voicing — the open D7 chord slid up seven frets. D string fret 7 (root), G fret 9 (5th), B fret 8 (♭7th), high e fret 9 (3rd). No barre required.
Tips for Playing the A7 Chord
Build from A major
If you know open A major (x-0-2-2-2-0), the open A7 simply lets the G string ring open instead of fretting it at fret 2. That open G is the minor 7th that turns A major into A7.
Strum from the A string
The open A7 mutes the low E. Let the side of your index finger lightly touch the low E string to silence it as you strum from the A string down.
A7 → D is everywhere
The A7 → D progression appears constantly in folk, country, blues, and rock. A7 creates strong pull that resolves to D major — practise this move with both the open voicing and the E-shape barre at fret 5.
Blues in A
In a 12-bar blues in A, the three chords are A7, D7, and E7. The open A7 with its natural resonance is one of the most essential sounds in blues guitar.
Move the E-shape barre
The E-shape barre at fret 5 is fully moveable — slide it one fret down for G#7 or one fret up for A#7. Learn one shape, play twelve keys.
Shell voicing for jazz
The x-x-11-12-10-9 shell voicing is clean and compact for jazz comping. The ascending finger pattern (index on e, middle on B, ring on D, pinky on G) is easily transposed to any key.
About the A7 Chord on Guitar
The A7 chord is built from four notes: A (the root), C# (the major 3rd), E (the perfect 5th), and G (the minor 7th). It is the A major triad with an added flat 7th — and one of the most naturally resonant dominant 7th chords on guitar thanks to its clean open voicing. The tritone tension between C# and G resolves powerfully to D major, making A7 one of the most-used chords in blues, folk, country, and rock. The open A7 requires just two fingers, making it one of the most beginner-friendly dominant 7th chords on the instrument. In jazz, A7 functions as the V chord in D major and travels through the dominant cycle. This page covers five voicings, from the familiar open A7 to barre and jazz shell shapes. Every diagram is interactive and playable with real acoustic guitar sound.
- 015 A7 chord shapes from beginner to advanced
- 02Interactive diagrams — click Play to hear each chord
- 03Real acoustic guitar sound via audio engine
- 04Open position, E-shape barre, A-shape barre, shell voicing, and D7-shape moveable form
- 05Difficulty rating on every shape
- 06Free — no sign-up or download needed
ANATOMY
Chord Tones
The 4 notes that form the A Dominant 7th chord and their role in the major scale.
Every dominant 7th chord follows this same formula — root, major third, perfect fifth, minor seventh.