A7 ukulele chord
A7 (A seventh) is built from A, C#, E and G, the degrees 1–3–5–b7. On ukulele, the main shape is 0 1 0 0, the first diagram, marked with the star.
Breathe in right now. Hold it. ...Feel your body asking for the second half? A7 is a song breathing like that — first half only. Press play down there.
Hear A7 before you play
Why A7 sounds this way
Why does it sound unfinished? Inside A7, two notes are at odds: C# and G. Now listen to the arpeggio, one note at a time 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 E keep the house standing while those two argue inside it. And an argument, you know, demands a resolution.
How to play A7 on ukulele
On the ukulele, the high reentrant G makes every shape light — and with four strings, every note is exposed. So grab the first position below — 3 open strings 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 A7, 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: 9 A7 shapes on ukulele
With the fingering and audio of each one, free. In the app, the arpeggio and the campanella of each shape are 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
A7 notes and degrees
A7 stacks the root A, the major third C#, the perfect fifth E and the minor seventh G.
Where A7 shows up
Its most common job is the dominant, and dominants live as VII7 in B minor, V7 in D major. Translation: wherever it shows up, the music is usually about to move. In the blues, though, A7 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 · try 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 · see it in Chord and Fret
Where A7 usually goes
When A7 works as the dominant of D, it tends to resolve to D or DmDmDmDm. In other contexts the sequence changes: in the blues, A7 can be the home chord itself. Typically, not a rule.
Going beyond A7
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, a second dominant hiding three whole steps away, 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 ukulele
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.
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 A7
The A Mixolydian scale is a common choice over A7: no chord tone is left out of it. The best fit depends on the key, the surrounding chords and the tensions you want. When A7 moves to D, its third, C#, is the leading tone of D: the note that wants to rise a half step.
Swaps that work:
- Eb7Eb7Eb7Eb7 — Tritone substitution (shared 3rd–7th tritone)
- Em7Em7Em7Em7 — Forms a II–V: precede with this ii
- Bbdim7 — 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
You already know how this sentence usually ends. As a dominant, the period after A7 is D — go there and close it with your own fingers.
A7 chord questions
What notes are in the A7 chord?
The A7 chord is made of the notes A, C#, E and G.
How do you play A7 on ukulele?
Form the shape from string 4 to string 1: 0 1 0 0. “0” means play it open.
What chord comes after A7?
When A7 works as the dominant of D, it tends to resolve to D or Dm. In other contexts the sequence changes: in the blues, A7 can be the home chord itself.
What scale works over A7?
The A Mixolydian scale is a common choice over A7: no chord tone is left out of it. The best fit depends on the key, the surrounding chords and the tensions you want.