D#7 cavaquinho chord
D#7 (D sharp seventh) is built from D#, F##, A# and C#, the degrees 1–3–5–b7. On cavaquinho, the main shape is 1 0 2 1, the first diagram, marked with the star. It sounds the same as E♭7 (Eb, G, Bb and Db), the usual name in flat keys.
A doorbell ringing with nobody answering. A phone buzzing face-down on the table. Some things only exist to be resolved — D#7 is their musical version. Hit play below and feel the unfinished business.
Hear D#7 before you play
Why D#7 sounds this way
Why does it sound unfinished? Inside D#7, two notes are arguing: G and C#. Go back to the audio and catch the arpeggio note by note and catch the second and the last note — the distance between them is the tritone, one of the tensest intervals in tonal music. D# and A# keep the house standing while those two argue inside it. And an argument, you know, demands a resolution.
How to play D#7 on cavaquinho
On the cavaquinho, four steel strings tuned D–G–B–D pack the chord into a small, bright space — every finger counts. So grab the first position below — 1 open string to help you; it's the main shape — that's why it carries the ⭐. Now the experiment that explains this chord better than any explanation: play D#7, let it ring a moment, then play G#. Felt the door close? Do it again. That relief is the dominant's job.
In the app: 11 D#7 shapes on cavaquinho
With the fingering and audio of each one, free. In the app, the arpeggio of each shape is part of Pro.
Precision Tuner: Get in tune before you play: chromatic tuner and reference tones, free in standard tuning · open in Chord and Fret
The other positions earn their keep in blues and jazz, where this chord is practically the official language; learn them one at a time.
Left-handed? Mirror's right here
D#7 notes and degrees
D#7 stacks the root D#, the major third F##, the perfect fifth A# and the minor seventh C#.
Where D#7 shows up
Its most common job is the dominant, and dominants live as V7 in G# major. Plainly: where it enters, the song is usually about to leave the room. In the blues, though, D#7 can also be the home chord. A chart full of 7th chords is a song that won't sit still.
Transpose & Capo: Need it in another key? Transpose the progression for free; finding the best capo is part of Pro · see it in Chord and Fret
Identify Chord: Found a shape on your fretboard? Mark it on the screen and the app names the chord, 5 times a day for free · try it in Chord and Fret
Where D#7 usually goes
When D#7 works as the dominant of G#, it tends to resolve to G# or G#mG#mG#mG#m. In other contexts the sequence changes: in the blues, D#7 can be the home chord itself. Typically, not a rule.
Going beyond D#7
For soloing, D# Mixolydian (D# E# F## G# A# B# C# · 1 2 3 4 5 6 b7: the major scale with a lowered seventh — the blues accent); D# Lydian dominant (D# E# F## G## A# B# C# · 1 2 3 #4 5 6 b7: a mixolydian with a raised fourth: the dominant in formalwear) cover the whole chord. And look at the first swap on the list below: that's the famous tritone substitution, the twin dominant living three whole steps from here, the one arrangers reach for when they want to arrive at the same place by a prettier road.
D# Mixolydian
In the app: the 7 positions of D# Mixolydian on cavaquinho
With degree, note and finger labels on each one, free. Playing the whole scale is part of Pro.
The same D# Mixolydian in its main shapes along the neck — pick whichever position sits under your hand. The rings mark the guide notes (the 3rd and 7th) that carry this chord's color.
Scale: The scale's positions across the neck, with degree, note and finger labels, free; playing the scale and the tempo-ramp exercise are part of Pro · see it in Chord and Fret
Scales to improvise over D#7
The D# Mixolydian scale is a common choice over D#7: it contains every note of the chord. The best fit depends on the key, the surrounding chords and the tensions you want. When D#7 moves to G#, its third, F##, is the leading tone of G#: the note that wants to rise a half step.
Swaps that work:
- A7A7A7A7 — Tritone substitution (shared 3rd–7th tritone)
- A#m7A#m7A#m7A#m7 — Forms a II–V: precede with this ii
- Edim7 — Passing diminished (ascending)
Reharmonize: Want richer substitutions? Reharmonize's Subtle and Medium levels are free; Bold and Jazz are part of Pro · use it in Chord and Fret
The question this page asked has a one-click answer: G#. Don't end the day without playing both in a row.
D#7 chord questions
What notes are in the D#7 chord?
The D#7 chord is made of the notes D#, F##, A# and C#.
How do you play D#7 on cavaquinho?
Form the shape from string 4 to string 1: 1 0 2 1. “0” means play it open.
What chord comes after D#7?
When D#7 works as the dominant of G#, it tends to resolve to G# or G#m. In other contexts the sequence changes: in the blues, D#7 can be the home chord itself.
What scale works over D#7?
The D# Mixolydian scale is a common choice over D#7: it contains every note of the chord. The best fit depends on the key, the surrounding chords and the tensions you want.