Which strings do I strum for D seven?

4 strings, from the D string down to the thin e. Skip the thick E and A strings.

What notes are in a D seven chord?

D, F#, A, C. The D is the root, the note the chord is named after. The F# makes it major.

What chords go with D7?

Its neighbours on the circle of fifths, G and A, and its relative minor, Bm. Songs move between these because they share notes.

dominant seventh chord

D seven chord on guitar

A small triangle on the thin strings, the mirror of D major. It pulls hard toward G.

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Where the fingers go

1
middle finger, G string, fret 2
Count from the thick string: E A D G.
2
index finger, B string, fret 1
Count from the thick string: E A D G B.
3
ring finger, thin e string, fret 2
The thinnest string, nearest the floor.
4
Leave the D string open
They ring without any finger. They are part of the chord.
5
Strum 4 strings, from the D string down
Skip the thick E and A. They would add a note that does not belong.

The same shape seen along the neck, thin e on top. Numbers are fingers; 0 is an open string.

The notes in D7

A chord is three or four notes played together. D seven is built from these:

Note	Job in the chord	Where it is in this shape
D	root	D string, open
F#	major third	thin e string, fret 2
A	fifth	G string, fret 2
C	flat seventh	B string, fret 1

The root, D, is the note it is named after. The second note decides the mood: a major third sounds bright, a minor third sounds sad. This chord sounds restless, it wants to move on.

Where it sits on the circle of fifths

The circle of fifths lines up the twelve keys so that neighbours share the most notes. Chords next to each other on the circle sound good one after the other, which is why songs move between them.

G and A are D7’s neighbours. Most songs in D7 use one or both.
Bm is its relative minor: the same notes, a different home. Swapping between them changes the mood without changing your hand much.
A seventh chord pulls to the chord one step anticlockwise. D7 wants to go to G or G minor.

The mistake everyone makes

Watch out

Mixing it up with D

D has the fingers pointing down toward the floor. D7 points up: the middle finger is on the B string, fret 1.

Tip

Play D7 then G

That is the sound of a song ending. You will recognise it instantly.

Songs that use it

Songs in G. The chord that leads home to G.

In those songs, D7 is followed by G . Practise those changes first.

Questions people ask

Which strings do I strum for D seven?: 4 strings, from the D string down to the thin e. Skip the thick E and A strings.
What notes are in a D seven chord?: D, F#, A, C. The D is the root, the note the chord is named after. The F# makes it major.
What chords go with D7?: Its neighbours on the circle of fifths, G and A, and its relative minor, Bm. Songs move between these because they share notes.