A7 chord on piano
A7 is A, C♯, E and G. A sits between the last two black keys of the three. Tap Play, then slow it down.
root position · A–C♯–E–G · right hand 1-2-3-5
- Notes
- A · C♯ · E · G
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · 5 · ♭7
How to play A7 on piano
Count keys (black and white) from A: 4 half steps up to C♯, 3 half steps up to E then 3 half steps up to G. That's the whole chord: 4 keys.
- Right hand: 1 on A, 2 on C♯, 3 on E and 5 on G.
- Left hand: 5 on A, 3 on C♯, 2 on E and 1 on G.
- On the keyboard it's white, black, white and white keys, the same pattern as D7 and E7, so your hand shape carries over.
A7 inversions
- root position: A–C♯–E–G. RH 1-2-3-5.
- 1st inversion: C♯–E–G–A, with C♯ at the bottom. Right hand 1-2-3-5.
- 2nd inversion: E–G–A–C♯, with E at the bottom. Fingers 1-2-3-5.
- 3rd inversion: G–A–C♯–E, G lowest. RH 1-2-3-5.
Nobody plays every chord in root position. The inversions let A7 sit wherever the previous chord left your hand.
Changing from A7 to the chords around it
Songs rarely hold A7 for long. Here's what your hand does on the moves that come up most.
- D (the V7 pulls home a fifth below): A7 to D: play D in 2nd inversion (A–D–F♯) and A stays under the same finger, while C♯ moves up to D and G down to F♯. D on piano
- Dmaj7 (I in D major): A7 to Dmaj7: play Dmaj7 in 2nd inversion (A–C♯–D–F♯) and A and C♯ stay under the same fingers, while E moves down to D and G down to F♯. Dmaj7 on piano
- Bm7 (vi in D major): A7 to Bm7: play Bm7 in 3rd inversion (A–B–D–F♯) and A stays under the same finger, while C♯ moves down to B, E down to D and G down to F♯. Bm7 on piano
A7 is a dominant seventh chord: a major triad with a flattened seventh on top. Use A7 where you want motion: it leans toward the chord a fifth below and turns up on almost every blues. On piano you hear it best with the keys pressed together, then rolled.
Practice A7 in two minutes
Play A7 broken, one key at a time: A, C♯, E, G, E, C♯, A. Then press the keys together and check that all 4 sound at the same volume. Next, walk up through A–C♯–E–G → C♯–E–G–A → E–G–A–C♯ → G–A–C♯–E without lifting your eyes to your hand.
The keys of A7
A7 is a dominant seventh chord, 1–3–5–♭7 from A. Root position, from the bottom: how A7 is built.
| Note | Key | Fingers | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | white key | RH 1 · LH 5 | root |
| C♯ | black key | RH 2 · LH 3 | major third |
| E | white key | RH 3 · LH 2 | perfect fifth |
| G | white key | RH 5 · LH 1 | minor seventh |
Keys and progressions with A7
In A major, I7–IV7–V7 (12 bars) on piano is A7 (A–C♯–E–G), D7 (D–F♯–A–C) and E7 (E–G♯–B–D). About the 12-bar blues.
In D major, ii–V–I on piano is Em7 (E–G–B–D), A7 (A–C♯–E–G) and Dmaj7 (D–F♯–A–C♯). About the jazz cadence.
A7 on guitar and ukulele
A7 on guitar and ukulele uses the same 4 notes in a different layout. See all three together.
Related A chords on piano
Other dominant seventh chords
A7 on piano: questions
What notes are in A7 on piano?
A, C♯, E and G: A (white key), C♯ (black key), E (white key) and G (white key). Right hand 1-2-3-5, left hand 5-3-2-1.
How do you play A7 on piano?
Press A, C♯, E and G together (1 black, 3 white). Right hand: 1 on A, 2 on C♯, 3 on E and 5 on G.
What are the inversions of A7?
1st inversion (C♯–E–G–A), 2nd inversion (E–G–A–C♯) and 3rd inversion (G–A–C♯–E), after root position (A–C♯–E–G). Each keeps all the notes of the chord.
What does A7 look like on the keyboard?
white, black, white and white keys, the same pattern as D7 and E7, so one hand shape covers all of them.
Shapes and sound are generated from the notes A, C♯, E and G and tested automatically. Updated September 2026.