G Dominant 7th (G7)

1+3+5+b7
GBDF
4 4
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Notes in G Dominant 7th

G (root)BDF

Inversions

Same notes as G Dominant 7th, with a different chord tone as the lowest note. Useful for smoother movement between chords instead of jumping around the keyboard.

Root position

G in the bass

GBDF

1st inversion

B in the bass

BDFG

2nd inversion

D in the bass

DFGB

3rd inversion

F in the bass

FGBD

Open voicings

A close-position chord like G Dominant 7th can sound cluttered in the middle of the keyboard. Jazz players open it up by dropping one note down an octave, spreading the same notes wider without changing the chord.

Drop 2

D on the bottom

DGBF

Drop 3

B on the bottom

GDF

Press G, B, D and F together on the keyboard and you're playing G Dominant 7th.

A major triad with a minor seventh stacked on top, this is the workhorse chord of blues and functional harmony. Hiding between its third and seventh is a tritone, the same restless interval that gives the chord its itchy pull toward whichever chord sits a fifth below.

Difficulty: Intermediate. Category: Seventh chords. Click any key on the diagram above to hear that single note.