Dominant 7 Arpeggio

The dominant 7 arpeggio consists of the following scale/chord tones: Root, 3rd, 5th, and minor (flatted) 7th. Note that dominant 7 chords/arpeggios are commonly referred to as just "7", without using the word "dominant". Same goes for chords; a "G dominant 7" is generally referred to as just "G7".

Dominant 7 Guitar Arpeggio with root on 6th string

Here is a tab of the G7 arpeggio. This fingering involves a position change part way though. Start with your second finger for the root note on the third fret of the third string, and first finger to play the 3rd on the second fret on the second string. Then shift position to play the 5th at the fifth fret of the fifth string with your third (ring) finger, and proceed in the same position for the rest of the arpeggio:

-----------------------3-------------------
-----------------3--6----------------------
--------------4----------------------------
--------3-5--------------------------------
---2-5-------------------------------------
-3-----------------------------------------

This video demonstrates the hand position shift mentioned above:

The accompanying G7 chord, root on 6th string (X = muted string):

------X-----------------------------------
------3-----------------------------------
---------4--------------------------------
------3-----------------------------------
------X-----------------------------------
------3-----------------------------------

Dominant 7 Arpeggio, root on 5th string

Here is a tab of the C Dominant 7 arpeggio. Be mindful of the fact that that the root note is at the third fret of the fifth string; lower register notes on fifth and sixth strings are also shown here. There is also a position change involved in playing this arpeggio pattern; when starting from the root, you will naturally play the 3rd at the second fret of the fourth string with your first (index) finger, and then shift position to play the 5th at the fifth fret of the fourth string with your third (ring) finger. You can stay in the same position to play the rest of the pattern. If you start playing this at the low E, there is another position shift as well as the one described above. The video below the tab chart offers visual illustrations of these position shifts:

-------------------------3-6-8------------
----------------------5--------------------
-----------------3-5-----------------------
------------2-5----------------------------
-------1-3---------------------------------
-0-3---------------------------------------

Video demonstration of of position shifts for Dominant 7 Arpeggios rooted on fifth string:

The accompanying C Dominant 7 chord, root on 5th string (X = muted or unused string):

------3---------------------------------
-----------5----------------------------
------3---------------------------------
-----------5----------------------------
------3---------------------------------
------X---------------------------------

Another common fingering for the C7 chord with root on 5th string (X = muted or unused string). This particular chord shape does not contain the 5th chord tone, but it is commonly used, especially by blues and folk guitarists:

------X---------------------------------
--1-------------------------------------
------3---------------------------------
----2-----------------------------------
------3---------------------------------
------X---------------------------------

As with any other patterns on the fingerboard, you can shift these arpeggios and chord shapes into other root positions for other keys.

The illustrations above show fingerings that fall into the positions that overlap commonly used chord voicings. However, any arpeggio can be played anywhere on the guitar neck (though fingering may get tricky in some spots) by using the appropriate chord tones, such as Root, 3rd, 5th, and flat 7th to produce the dominant 7 arpeggio.

Use links at left for more free lesson material presented on this site, or links at right for more arpeggios.

in this section:

• Major 7 Arpeggio
• Dominant 7 Arpeggio
• Minor 7 Arpeggio

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