A Dominant 7th Chord on Bass
The A Dominant 7th Chord (A, C#, E, G) shown across the full 4-string bass fretboard. Tap any note to hear it, or open it in BassMapper to play along with a MIDI file. Free, no account needed.
About the Dominant 7th Chord
A dominant 7th is a major triad plus a flatted 7th: bright but unresolved, the chord that wants to move somewhere. It's the engine of blues, funk, and R&B, and on bass it's a goldmine for grooves built from the root, 3rd, 5th, and that tense flat 7th.
The fretboard above shows the A Dominant 7th Chord in every position at once. Open it in BassMapper and drop in a MIDI file to watch the chord light up on the neck in real time as a song plays.
questions
What notes are in the A Dominant 7th Chord?
The A Dominant 7th Chord contains A, C#, E, G.
What does the Dominant 7th Chord sound like?
Bluesy and restless: resolved enough to groove on, tense enough to want to move.
How do I play the Dominant 7th Chord on bass?
Walk root → 3rd → 5th → flat-7th to spell the whole chord in one bar. That flat 7th is the note that makes it 'dominant'.