D7 chord on guitar

D7 is D, F♯, A and C. The easiest shape is x-x-0-2-1-2. Tap Play, then slow it down.

How to play D7 on guitar

Shape 1, x-x-0-2-1-2, reading from the low E string on the left:

1. C: index finger, 1st fret of the B string.
2. A: middle finger, 2nd fret of the G string.
3. F♯: ring finger, 2nd fret of the high E string.
4. Leave the D string open: D.
5. Strum from the D string down; the low E and A strings stay silent.

• If an open string sounds dead, a fingertip is leaning on it. Come down more on the tips, with your knuckles bent.
• Aim the strum at the thinner strings only; the lower ones are marked × for a reason.

Other ways to play D7

• 10-12-10-11-10-10: barre shape at the 10th fret, medium. The root is on the low E string, so you can slide this shape to play any dominant seventh chord.
• x-5-7-5-7-5: barre shape at the 5th fret, medium. This is the open A7 shape with a barre behind it, root on the 5th string.

D7 the capo way

With a capo you can skip the harder shapes: capo on the 2nd fret and play the open C7 shape (x-3-2-3-1-0), capo on the 3rd fret and play the open B7 shape (x-2-1-2-0-2), capo on the 5th fret and play the open A7 shape (x-0-2-0-2-0) or capo on the 7th fret and play the open G7 shape (3-2-0-0-0-1). Everything above the capo is fingered exactly like the open chord.

Moving between D7 and its neighbours

Songs rarely hold D7 for long. Here's what your hand does on the moves that come up most.

• G (the V7 pulls home a fifth below): D7 (x-x-0-2-1-2) to G (3-2-0-0-0-3): the index finger goes to the A string, 2nd fret, your middle finger lands on the low E string, 3rd fret, move the ring finger to the high E string, 3rd fret. No finger can stay, so practice lifting all of them together and landing the new shape as a unit. Listen for D, which stays put while the rest moves. G on guitar
• Gmaj7 (I in G major): D7 (x-x-0-2-1-2) to Gmaj7 (3-2-0-0-0-2): your index finger lands on the A string, 2nd fret, your middle finger lands on the high E string, 2nd fret, move the ring finger to the low E string, 3rd fret. Everything moves: lift the whole hand and place the new shape in one go. D and F♯ carry over from one chord to the other. Gmaj7 on guitar
• Em7 (vi in G major): D7 (x-x-0-2-1-2) to Em7 (0-2-0-0-0-0): your index finger lands on the A string, 2nd fret. The two chords share D, which is why the change sounds smooth. Em7 on guitar

D7 is a dominant seventh chord: a major triad with a flattened seventh on top. Use D7 where you want motion: it leans toward the chord a fifth below and turns up on almost every blues. Play it once strummed and once picked to hear the difference.

A short D7 drill

Arpeggiate x-x-0-2-1-2 from the lowest string: D, A, C, F♯. Then strum it and listen for the same 4 notes together. Then switch to 10-12-10-11-10-10 and back four times without looking at your hand.

Where D7 shows up

• V7 in G major
• V7 in G minor
• VII7 in E minor

In D major, I7–IV7–V7 (12 bars) on guitar is D7 (x-x-0-2-1-2), G7 (3-2-0-0-0-1) and A7 (x-0-2-0-2-0). About the 12-bar blues.

In G major, ii–V–I on guitar is Am7 (x-0-2-0-1-0), D7 (x-x-0-2-1-2) and Gmaj7 (3-2-0-0-0-2). About the jazz cadence.

D7 on piano and ukulele

Switching instruments? Try D7 on ukulele or D7 on piano, or compare them on the D7 chord page.

Next to try on guitar

• D
• D9
• Dmaj7
• Dm7
• Dsus4

Other dominant seventh chords

• C7
• C♯7
• E♭7
• E7
• F7
• F♯7
• G7
• A♭7
• A7
• B♭7
• B7

Shapes and sound are generated from the notes D, F♯, A and C and tested automatically. Updated September 2026. Print this chord