7

Sevenths · Chord Type

Dominant 7th Chord

Tense and driving. Creates the strongest pull toward the tonic.

0 st4 st7 st10 st

How to Hear It

The tritone between the major third and flat seventh creates the strongest pull in tonal music. It urgently wants to resolve.

Hear the Dominant 7th Chord

Famous Examples

  • La Grange (A7) — ZZ Top
  • Johnny B. Goode (B7) — Chuck Berry
  • Crossroads (E7) — Cream

Dominant 7th in All 12 Keys

Related Sevenths

About the Dominant 7th Chord

Built from the semitone intervals 0, 4, 7, 10 from the root, the dominant 7th chord belongs to the sevenths family and appears across virtually every genre of music.

To train your ear to recognise the dominant 7th chord instantly, practice hearing it in all 12 keys. Use the links above to target specific roots, or open the full recognition trainer.