D7
D Dominant 7th — the engine of harmonic motion — the tritone between its third and seventh drives resolution down a fifth.
The keys
D – F♯ – A – C
What's inside D7
| Note | Interval from root | Degree |
|---|---|---|
| D | Root | 1 |
| F♯ | Major 3rd | 3 |
| A | Perfect 5th | 5 |
| C | Minor 7th | b7 |
Inversions
| Position | Keys (low → high) |
|---|---|
| Root position | D4 – G♭4 – A4 – C5 |
| 1st inversion | G♭4 – A4 – C5 – D5 |
| 2nd inversion | A4 – C5 – D5 – G♭5 |
| 3rd inversion | C5 – D5 – G♭5 – A5 |
A working voicing
Split the chord between two hands the way working players do — a solid shell low down, the colour tones up top:
| Hand | Keys |
|---|---|
| Left (shell) | D2 – C3 |
| Right (colour) | G♭4 – A4 |
Where D7 lives
Resolving down a fifth
D7 → G
The defining dominant move: the tritone inside this chord releases onto the chord a fifth below.
In a ii–V–I
Am7 → D7 → Gmaj7
This chord as the V — the engine of the most-used cadence in music.
Put D7 under your fingers
Hear every voicing, see the keys light up, and drill it in the interactive Chord & Voicing Lab.
Open the Chord & Voicing Lab →