Construction
D Dominant 7th = Root + Major 3rd + Perfect 5th + Minor 7th = D, F♯, A, C
| Note | Interval | Degree |
|---|---|---|
| D | Root | 1 |
| F♯ | Major 3rd | 3 |
| A | Perfect 5th | 5 |
| C | Minor 7th | ♭7 |
How to Play the D Dominant 7th
Right Hand (RH)
Place your right hand over the keys with the thumb on the root. Use the fingering: 1 – 2 – 3 – 5
Left Hand (LH)
For the left hand, start with your pinky on the root. Use the fingering: 5 – 3 – 2 – 1
D Dominant 7th Inversions
- Root positionD – 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
D Dominant 7th : Frequently Asked Questions
What is the D Dominant 7th chord on piano?
The D Dominant 7th chord contains the notes D – F♯ – A – C. On piano, play these notes together to sound the chord.
What notes are in the D Dominant 7th chord?
The D Dominant 7th chord (D7) contains four notes: D (root), F# (major third), A (perfect fifth), and C (minor seventh). The combination of a major triad with a minor seventh creates the dominant 7th's signature bluesy tension.
How does D Dominant 7th differ from D Major?
D Major contains three notes: D, F#, A. D Dominant 7th adds a C (minor seventh) on top. That single added note transforms a stable, resolved chord into one that urgently wants to resolve, typically down a fifth to G Major.
What does 'dominant' mean in music theory?
'Dominant' refers to the fifth scale degree. The dominant 7th chord is built on the fifth note of a key and contains a tritone that creates strong pull toward resolution. D7 is the dominant chord in the key of G Major: one of the most common keys in popular music.
How is D Dominant 7th used in music?
D7 most commonly resolves to G Major in a V7–I cadence. It is one of the most frequently used dominant 7th chords in folk, country, blues, and rock because G Major is such a common key. D7 also appears as the V7 in G minor contexts.
What songs use dominant 7th chords?
Dominant 7th chords are the backbone of blues and early rock: every chord in a standard 12-bar blues is a dominant 7th. Hit the Road Jack (Ray Charles), Ain't Misbehavin' (Fats Waller), and countless jazz standards rely on dominant 7th movement for their harmonic drive.
What is the tritone in D Dominant 7th?
The tritone in D7 is the interval between F# (the third) and C (the seventh): exactly 6 semitones apart. This is the most unstable interval in Western music and gives D7 its strong pull toward G. The F# resolves up to G and the C resolves down to B.