Piano chord
A 7 chord
A7 is a dominant seventh chord: the root A, a major 3rd up to C♯, a perfect 5th up to E and a minor 7th up to G.
- Symbol
- A7
- Notes
- A – C♯ – E – G
Play it yourself
Tap A, C♯, E and G on the keys below, in any order.
- A
- C♯
- E
- G
Dominant seventh chords add a minor seventh to a major triad. That extra note creates the pull you hear at the end of a phrase, and it is the backbone of blues and jazz.
Inversions of A7
An inversion keeps the same notes but puts a different one at the bottom. Pianists use them to move between chords with less jumping.
- Root position
A – C♯ – E – G
- 1st inversion · A7/C♯
C♯ – E – G – A
- 2nd inversion · A7/E
E – G – A – C♯
- 3rd inversion · A7/G
G – A – C♯ – E
Keys with A7
A7 occurs naturally in these keys. The Roman numeral shows which step of the scale it is built on.