A7 Chord on Ukulele
A7 = A – C# – E – G (Root, Major 3rd, Perfect 5th, Minor 7th)
A7 is a one-finger chord: only the C string is fretted, at the first fret, with the index finger, while the G, E, and A strings all ring open. It sits directly between A minor's open shape and A major's two-finger shape in terms of hand position, using the same C-string fret A major does but leaving the G string open instead of fretted. It's often the very last of the essential seventh-chord shapes a beginner adds, rounding out G7, C7, and D7 with a fourth low-position dominant seventh.
As the dominant seventh built on A, this chord is the V7 in the key of D, making the A7-to-D resolution one of the most frequently used cadences whenever a piece sits in that key. Because three of its four strings ring open, it has a particularly resonant, ringing character among the ukulele's seventh chords — arguably the brightest-sounding V7 shape on the instrument. It also appears as a secondary dominant in songs centered on other keys, briefly tonicizing D even within a piece that's mostly in C or G, adding a moment of color before returning to the main key. Alongside G7 and C7, A7 completes a trio of one-finger dominant seventh shapes that share almost identical hand mechanics despite landing on completely different strings — a useful pattern for a beginner to notice, since it means the physical gesture of "one finger fretting a seventh" transfers directly between three different chords rather than being a one-off shape to memorize in isolation.
Fingerings
Open Position
How to Practice It
With only one finger required, the focus here is really about the strings around it: make sure the fretting finger's placement doesn't lean into the open G string beside it, since that's the one most often deadened by accident. A7 doubles as a useful isolated ear-training chord — compare it against A major (adds the G string at the second fret) and A minor (drops the C string fret entirely) to hear how each one-note change shifts the color. Because it shares its one-finger simplicity with C7, practicing A7-to-C7 back and forth is a good drill in relocating a single finger accurately between two different strings and frets. Once the four essential open sevenths — G7, C7, D7, and A7 — are all comfortable individually, cycling through all four in sequence is a strong general warm-up that touches nearly every low-position finger placement the instrument's easiest chords use.
Common Progressions
- V7 – I (A7 – D)
- I – IV – V7 – I (D – G – A7 – D)
- ii – V7 – I (Em – A7 – D)
- D and A7 by themselves make a simple, effective two-chord vamp.
FAQ
- Is A7 easier than A major on ukulele?
- Yes — it drops the G string's fretted note that A major needs, leaving only the C string fretted, so it's a genuine one-finger chord.
- What makes A7 sound so open compared to other seventh chords?
- Three of its four strings — G, E, and A — ring completely open, giving it more unfretted resonance than most of the ukulele's other dominant seventh shapes.
- Can A7 be used in keys other than D?
- Yes — it frequently appears as a secondary dominant, briefly tonicizing D for a beat or two inside a song that's mostly centered on C or G, before the progression returns to its main key.
- Why do G7, C7, and A7 all use a single finger?
- In each case, three of the chord's four notes already sit on the open GCEA strings, so only the one remaining chord tone needs to be fretted — a direct, repeated consequence of how much harmonic content those four open strings already carry.
- What's a practical exercise using all four open sevenths together?
- Cycle through G7, C7, D7, and A7 in that order at a slow, steady tempo, focusing on smooth transitions rather than speed — it's a compact warm-up that touches the full range of easy fretted-hand positions this side of the neck.
- Is A7 easy enough to be a total beginner's first seventh chord?
- It's a strong candidate — alongside C7, it's one of the two simplest one-finger sevenths, so either makes a reasonable starting point before tackling G7's three-finger shape or D7's barre.
A7 on other instruments: A7 on Guitar, A7 on Piano. Related: how chords are built, chord finder.