A phrase in D♭ minor
- C♯m
- B7/A
- A♭7
- C♯m
Hear B7/A in a tonic–chord–dominant–tonic phrase. Its role depends on its position, not just its quality.
Discover the chord. Understand the music.
Explore notes on guitar or piano, uncover their harmony, and turn your ideas into practice.
Standard tuning E2–A2–D3–G3–B3–E4 · Shape 7–0–4–4–4–7
Fret 7
Fret 4
Fret 4
Fret 4
Open
Fret 7
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Tap a fret to place a finger (tap again to mute). O = open string, ✕ = muted. One sounding note per string.
Selected:A2B2G♭3B3E♭4B4
- Root
- 3rd / sus
- 5th
- 7th
- 6th / extensions
B7/A
B dominant seventh over A
A major triad with a minor seventh, creating tension that wants to resolve.
- Chord tones
- B1 · RootD♯3 · 3rdF♯5 · 5thA♭7 · 7th
- Formula
- 1–3–5–♭7
- Root / bass
- B / A
- Notes played (low → high)
- A2 · B2 · G♭3 · B3 · E♭4 · B4
- Voicing
- Third inversion (seventh in the bass)
B7/A · dominant seventh
How to Use This Chord
Sound & role
Tension that can resolve a fourth upward to a major or minor chord.
Genre examples
Blues
Jazz
Pop
Examples of musical settings, not restrictions or claims about how often this chord appears.
Connection & passing potential
No specific chromatic passing use is established by these notes alone. A passing function requires a starting chord, a destination and voice movement.
B7/A keeps the function of B dominant seventh. A is the bass; an inversion can smooth a bass line when neighbouring bass notes support it, but is not automatically a passing chord.
Diatonic context · example keys
Every chord tone fits these example keys. Other keys may also fit; the chord root is not assumed to be the tonic.
D♭ minor · VII7
natural minor
E major · V7
major