The dominant seventh chord is an iconic, go-to chord found across many genres of music. Known for its deep and satisfying sound, this chord can bring romance into any romantic ballad or song.
The augmented major seventh chord can be easily learned using standard E tuning and is easy for beginners. Although unfamiliar to most classical music pieces prior to Renaissance works, its presence can easily be heard when used.
A7
A7 chords add both optimism and longing to any tune, often heard in blues, folk and pop genres.
This A7 chord voicing combines a common, movable barre chord shape with an open G drone note for an A7 bar chord, also known as an A7 barre. Although this requires extra finger strength for playability, it should still be relatively straightforward.
C7
The C7 chord (C dominant seventh chord) adds one flat note to a standard C major triad, creating a somewhat wavering sound and appearing in many genres of music.
Make this chord starting from third position barre shapes and adding your fourth finger to string 2 fret 11. When strumming this chord, leave out the low E string.
D7
D7 chord is a classic dominant seventh chord, composed by taking a major triad and adding its flatted seventh note to it. Learn to play it easily in three steps!
This D7 voicing is based on the shape of a regular E7 chord. To create this sound, bar your index finger across the fifth fret to form this sound – perfect for practicing barre chords before moving on to full barred ones!
E7
E7 is another dominant seventh chord, ideal for practicing its deep blues-inspired tone. Start with an open E major triad and add a flatted 7 to get E, G##, B and D (Example 2).
This chord is easy to play, fitting seamlessly into songs in all genres including folk, rock and even some funk music.
F7
The F dominant seventh chord can bring a vibrant blues sound to any guitar player’s repertoire. One of the more challenging chords to master, it features strong pitches with vulnerable undertones.
BT Express’ “Taking Care of Business” uses this chord to power its pulse-pounding anthem, featuring a rattling bass line and distorted wah-pedal guitar sound. Enhance your chord repertoire by learning this classic rock tune!
G7
G7 chords feature a warm and full sound that works well in songs with more upbeat, energetic tones – including B.B. King’s “Lucille,” for creating an authentic funk vibe.
Learn the shape easily if you know open D7, by simply moving your index finger up 5 frets on the A string to create this chord shape.
Am7
The Am7 guitar chord is a variation on the A minor seventh that includes A, C, E and G as its notes.
This chord features a deep and extending bass, with smooth texture and moderate rumble levels.
Am7 chords can be utilized across numerous musical genres such as Jazz, Funk and Pop music. It serves to add tension by filling the place of an Am chord.
Bm7
Bm7 (B minor seventh chord) is a four-note chord made up of root, minor third, perfect fifth and flat seventh intervals. Also referred to as Bm7/D or Bm7/F# chord.
An impressively versatile chord, the open C chord can add lots of color and dimension to your progressions. Additionally, its open version may make playing it simpler for beginners.
Cm7
Cm7 chord is a minor 7th chord constructed from C major scale (C – Eb – G). It’s an ideal barre chord shape for beginning musicians as only two strings need to be skipped to play it successfully.
Utilize ChordBank, a free app designed to help you master barre chords one finger at a time. It will even listen to and correct your chords if necessary!