Piano chord
D 7 chord
D7 is a dominant seventh chord: the root D, a major 3rd up to F♯, a perfect 5th up to A and a minor 7th up to C.
- Symbol
- D7
- Notes
- D – F♯ – A – C
Play it yourself
Tap D, F♯, A and C on the keys below, in any order.
- D
- F♯
- A
- C
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 D7
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
D – F♯ – A – C
- 1st inversion · D7/F♯
F♯ – A – C – D
- 2nd inversion · D7/A
A – C – D – F♯
- 3rd inversion · D7/C
C – D – F♯ – A
Keys with D7
D7 occurs naturally in these keys. The Roman numeral shows which step of the scale it is built on.