A#7 guitar chord
A#7 (A sharp seventh) is built from A#, C##, E# and G#, the degrees 1–3–5–b7. On guitar, the main shape is x 1 3 1 3 1, the first diagram, marked with the star. It sounds the same as B♭7 (Bb, D, F and Ab), the usual name in flat keys.
Breathe in right now. Hold it. ...Feel your body asking for the second half? A#7 is a song breathing like that — first half only. Give the audio below a listen.
Hear A#7 before you play
Why A#7 sounds this way
Why does it sound unfinished? Inside A#7, two notes are arguing: D and G#. 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. A# and F keep the house standing while those two argue inside it. And an argument, you know, demands a resolution.
How to play A#7 on guitar
On the guitar, six strings give the chord room to breathe — some positions use them all, others ask you to mute the lowest ones. So grab the first position below; it's the main shape — that's why it carries the ⭐. Now the experiment that explains this chord better than any explanation: play A#7, hold it for one breath, then play D#. Felt the door close? Do it again. That relief is the dominant's job.
In the app: 36 A#7 shapes on guitar
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 · try it in Chord and Fret
Save the positions below for when the blues calls: over there, this chord is the house language.
Left-handed? Mirror's right here
A#7 notes and degrees
A#7 stacks the root A#, the major third C##, the perfect fifth E# and the minor seventh G#.
Where A#7 shows up
Its most common job is the dominant, and dominants live as V7 in D# major. Translation: wherever it shows up, the music is usually about to move. In the blues, though, A#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 · use 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 · open in Chord and Fret
Where A#7 usually goes
When A#7 works as the dominant of D#, it usually resolves to D# or D#mD#mD#mD#m. In other contexts the sequence changes: in the blues, A#7 can be the home chord itself. Typically, not a rule.
Going beyond A#7
For soloing, A# Mixolydian (A# B# C## D# E# F## G# · 1 2 3 4 5 6 b7: the major scale with a lowered seventh — the blues accent); A# Lydian dominant (A# B# C## D## E# F## G# · 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.
A# Mixolydian
In the app: the 7 positions of A# Mixolydian on guitar
With degree, note and finger labels on each one, free. Playing the whole scale is part of Pro.
The same A# 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.
Scales to improvise over A#7
The A# Mixolydian scale is a common choice over A#7: it contains every note of the chord. The best fit depends on the key, the surrounding chords and the tensions you want. When A#7 moves to D#, its third, C##, is the leading tone of D#: the note that wants to rise a half step.
Swaps that work:
- E7E7E7E7 — Tritone substitution (shared 3rd–7th tritone)
- Fm7Fm7Fm7Fm7 — Forms a II–V: precede with this ii
- Bdim7 — Passing diminished (ascending)
Reharmonize: Want richer substitutions? Reharmonize's Subtle and Medium levels are free; Bold and Jazz are part of Pro · see it in Chord and Fret
A#7 jazz voicings
Jazz Lab: Drop 2 voicings in any key, free; drop 3 and shell are part of Pro · see it in Chord and Fret
The question this page asked has a one-click answer: D#. Don't end the day without playing both in a row.
A#7 chord questions
What notes are in the A#7 chord?
The A#7 chord is made of the notes A#, C##, E# and G#.
How do you play A#7 on guitar?
Form the shape from string 6 to string 1: x 1 3 1 3 1. “x” means that string does not sound.
What chord comes after A#7?
When A#7 works as the dominant of D#, it usually resolves to D# or D#m. In other contexts the sequence changes: in the blues, A#7 can be the home chord itself.
What scale works over A#7?
The A# Mixolydian scale is a common choice over A#7: it contains every note of the chord. The best fit depends on the key, the surrounding chords and the tensions you want.