A seventh (A7) chord on cavaquinho
- Notes
- AC♯EG
- Formula
- 135♭7
How to play A7 on cavaquinho
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Shape 1 · fret 2 · barre
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Shape 2 · fret 5 · barre
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Shape 3 · fret 10
no 5th (E)
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Shape 4 · fret 7
Some shapes leave out: 5th (E). The caption of each one says what is missing. The 5th is the first to go: it barely changes the sound of the chord.
Numbers are fingers: 1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring, 4 pinky. x = do not play the string, o = open string. The coloured dot is the root (A).
A7 inversions on cavaquinho
On the cavaquinho a seventh chord fits whole on the 4 strings, one note on each, and that is how it accompanies in choro. Below are the positions with the root, the 3rd, the 5th and the 7th on the lowest string (in sixth chords the 6th does not go to the bass: that would rename the chord), whenever the position fits the hand.
Root (A) in the bassroot position · A7
Root (A) in the bassroot position · A7
3rd (C♯) in the bass1st inversion · A7/C#
5th (E) in the bass2nd inversion · A7/E
7th (G) in the bass3rd inversion · A7/G
7th (G) in the bass3rd inversion · A7/G
About the seventh chord
The dominant seventh chord carries a tension that "wants" to go somewhere: the third and the seventh form a tritone that resolves down a fifth (G7 → C). It is the V chord of any key, the sound of the blues (where every chord can take a seventh) and a staple of country and swing.
Notes and intervals of A7
A7 (A seventh) is built from 4 notes. Each one fills a degree of the chord:
- A · 1 · root
- C♯ · 3 · major third
- E · 5 · perfect fifth
- G · ♭7 · minor seventh
Other A chords
Seventh: other roots
Chords that go with A7
A7 is a dominant chord and usually resolves up a perfect fourth, to one of these chords:
Frequently asked questions
How do you play the A7 chord on cavaquinho?
A7 (A seventh) has 4 fingerings on this page, from easiest to hardest. Each diagram shows the fingers, the open strings (o) and the strings you do not play (x), and you can hear every shape.
What notes are in A7?
The notes of A7 are A, C♯, E, G. The formula is 1 · 3 · 5 · ♭7: root, major third, perfect fifth, minor seventh.
What does A7 mean?
A7 is the chord symbol for A seventh. The dominant seventh chord carries a tension that "wants" to go somewhere: the third and the seventh form a tritone that resolves down a fifth (G7 → C). It is the V chord of any key, the sound of the blues (where every chord can take a seventh) and a staple of country and swing.
Can I play A7 on other instruments?
Yes. A7 also has a page on guitar, on ukulele, with the fingerings for each instrument.