D7 (D7)

An upside-down triangle on the top three strings: D7 pulls toward G. It’s the V chord in the key of G and the IV chord in a blues in A.

It’s played in open position, near the nut, and as a barre chord higher up the neck. It pulls toward G major: you hear it right before the return home in songs in G major, and all over the blues.

Notes:: D, F♯, A, C.
Formula:: 1, 3, 5, ♭7.
Difficulty:: Beginner.
Strings played:: 4 (from the D string).

Chord diagram

e|--2--|
B|--1--|
G|--2--|
D|--0--|
A|--x--|
E|--x--|

Other positions

e|--5--|
B|--7--|
G|--5--|
D|--7--|
A|--5--|
E|--x--|

e|--10--|
B|--10--|
G|--11--|
D|--10--|
A|--12--|
E|--10--|

Common mistakes

Fingers getting in each other’s way? Index at the 1st fret on the B string, middle at the 2nd fret on the G string, ring at the 2nd fret on the high E.

Muddy low end? Don’t strum the low E or A string: start on the D string.

Variations

D and Dsus4: the other shapes in the D family, on the same strings.

e|--2--|
B|--3--|
G|--2--|
D|--0--|
A|--x--|
E|--x--|

e|--3--|
B|--3--|
G|--2--|
D|--0--|
A|--x--|
E|--x--|

Heard in

G, C, D7, G: the simplest cadence in the key of G. In a blues in A, D7 takes up bars 5 and 6.

Often played with

The chords in its key, the ones you hear most often around D7.

e|--3--|
B|--0--|
G|--0--|
D|--0--|
A|--2--|
E|--3--|

G majorresolution

e|--0--|
B|--1--|
G|--0--|
D|--2--|
A|--3--|
E|--x--|

C majorIV of the key

e|--0--|
B|--1--|
G|--2--|
D|--2--|
A|--0--|
E|--x--|

A minorii of the key