G dominant 7 (G7) — G, B, D, F — is G major with a minor 7th. All four notes are naturals. The chord is the V7 of C major (G7 → C is the most common cadence in Western tonal music) and the I7 of G blues. On guitar, the open G7 voicing (320001) is one of the very first chords most students learn.
Intervals
The G dominant 7 chord stacks two thirds on the root. Each interval and its size in semitones:
- G→Bmajor 3rd4 semitones
- B→Dminor 3rd3 semitones
- D→Fminor 3rd3 semitones
On the keyboard
Each note of the G dominant 7 chord highlighted on a piano. Pitch class is what matters — any octave works.
On the guitar
One voicing of the G dominant 7 chord on a six-string guitar fretboard.
- 1G
- 3B
- 5D
- ♭7F
Common mistakes
G7 has F natural as its 7th — a half-step lower than Gmaj7 (which has F♯). Replacing F with F♯ produces Gmaj7 (a stable tonic chord). The natural F is what gives G7 its bluesy pull. On guitar, the open G7 voicing (320001) keeps the standard G major shape with F added on the 1st string.
In context
G7 is the V7 of C major — the most-played dominant chord in tonal music. Every C-major cadence in classical, jazz, folk, and pop uses G7 → C. G7 is also the I7 of G blues (G7, C7, D7 — the three blues chords in G) and a primary chord in any C-major folk progression.
Drill it
The G dominant 7 chord is one of 48 in the Chord Trainer. Open the full trainer to practice it alongside related chords with timing and best-time tracking.
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Frequently asked
- What notes are in a G7 chord?
- G7 contains four notes: G (root), B (major third), D (perfect fifth), and F (minor seventh).
- How do you play G7 on guitar?
- The open G7 voicing is 320001: G (3rd fret 6th string), B (2nd fret 5th string), open D, open G, open B, F (1st fret 1st string). The single fingering change from open G major (3rd fret 1st string → 1st fret 1st string) makes G7 one of the easiest dominant 7ths.
- How is G7 different from Gmaj7?
- Only the seventh changes. G7 has F natural; Gmaj7 has F♯. G7 sounds bluesy and pulls toward C; Gmaj7 sits stably as a tonic.
- What pieces use G7?
- Every C-major piece uses G7 at cadences: Mozart's C-major sonatas, Beethoven's 5th Symphony (in C), countless folk and pop tunes. "Hey Joe" uses dominant-7 cycles built on G7-derived patterns. G7 → C is the most-played cadence in Western music.