A Dominant 7th Guitar Chord — Open D
Guitar chord voicings in Open D tuning (D-A-D-F#-A-D)
A Dominant 7th Voicings in Open D
A Dominant 7th filtered by fret:
A Dominant 7th in Open D Tuning — Guide
The A Dominant 7th chord is made up of the following notes: A, C#, E, G.
Intervals: 1P, 3M, 5P, 7m.
The A Dominant 7th chord in Open D tuning (D-A-D-F#-A-D) requires different fingerings than standard tuning.
The A dominant seventh chord adds a minor seventh to a major triad, creating a four-note structure with intervals 1P, 3M, 5P, 7m and notes A, C#, E, G. This tension between the major third and the minor seventh gives dominant sevenths their restless, bluesy character — they want to resolve. They are the driving force behind blues progressions, jazz turnarounds, and classical cadences where harmonic motion demands forward momentum.
How to Play A Dominant 7th
On guitar, the most common voicing for A 7 is x-0-2-0-2-0 — a comfortable open voicing that lifts one finger from the A major shape. This is one of the fundamental shapes every guitarist should memorize early on, as it appears in countless songs and serves as a building block for more complex voicings up the neck.
A Dominant 7th in Progressions
A dominant seventh most commonly functions as the V7 in D major or D minor, creating a strong pull toward resolution. It also serves as the I7 in A blues progressions and as a secondary dominant targeting other chords in a key.
Common Substitutions
A9, A13, or the tritone substitute D#7 all work as alternatives, keeping the dominant function intact.
Difficulty: On guitar, this chord has a comfortable open voicing — suitable for beginners and widely used in popular songs.