D Dominant 7th Guitar Chord — Open D
Guitar chord voicings in Open D tuning (D-A-D-F#-A-D)
D Dominant 7th Voicings in Open D
D Dominant 7th filtered by fret:
D Dominant 7th in Open D Tuning — Guide
The D Dominant 7th chord is made up of the following notes: D, F#, A, C.
Intervals: 1P, 3M, 5P, 7m.
The D Dominant 7th chord in Open D tuning (D-A-D-F#-A-D) requires different fingerings than standard tuning.
The D dominant seventh chord adds a minor seventh to a major triad, creating a four-note structure with intervals 1P, 3M, 5P, 7m and notes D, F#, A, C. 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 D Dominant 7th
On guitar, the most common voicing for D 7 is x-x-0-2-1-2 — open position on the top four strings with a bluesy, relaxed feel. 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.
D Dominant 7th in Progressions
D dominant seventh most commonly functions as the V7 in G major or G minor, creating a strong pull toward resolution. It also serves as the I7 in D blues progressions and as a secondary dominant targeting other chords in a key.
Common Substitutions
D9, D13, or the tritone substitute G#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.