A7 Chord on Guitar
A7 A C♯ E G 2 shapes Open chord
Chord diagrams
How to play A7 on guitar
The A7 chord (A7) is made of A, C♯, E, G - 1 3 5 b7. On a guitar in standard tuning the easiest way to play it is the open shape x02020, with no barre. Below are 2 shapes in all, from the lowest on the neck to the highest; the same chord sounds brighter the higher you play it.
E-shape barre, fret 5 575655
Strings from the low E (left) to the high E (right). Numbers are fingers: 1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring, 4 little. x = do not play the string, o = open string, a bar = one finger across several strings.
Notes
What notes are in A7?
The A7 chord has 4 different notes: A, C♯, E, G. The major triad plus a minor seventh (10 half steps above A) - the dominant chord that pulls towards the key a fifth below. A guitar chord rarely has as many strings as notes, so shapes double some of them: the e-shape barre, fret 5 sounds all six strings.
| Note | Interval from the root | Half steps |
|---|---|---|
| A | Root | 0 |
| C♯ | Major 3rd | 4 |
| E | Perfect 5th | 7 |
| G | Minor 7th | 10 |
Songs
Songs with the A7 chord
Easy songs on this site that use A7, with the chords over the lyrics and a guitar that plays along.
Questions
Frequently asked
How do you play A7 on guitar?
The open shape x02020: D string fret 2 (finger 2), B string fret 2 (finger 3); let A and G and high E ring open, do not play low E.
What notes are in the A7 chord?
The A7 chord (A7) is made of A, C♯, E, G. Its formula is 1 3 5 b7. On the guitar, some of those notes are played twice on different strings.
Is there a barre version of A7?
Yes: e-shape barre, fret 5 (575655). Barre shapes have no open strings, so you can cut the sound short with your fretting hand.
Keep playing
Strum A7, then build a song around it
The guitar on this page is free, with no account. GOONS Studio adds the rest of the band in the browser - a sampled piano with chord pads, drum machines, a bass synth and a sequencer - with a 7-day free trial, no card required.