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E7 Guitar Chord

E dominant seventh (E7) is made of the notes E G♯ B D. Here are 3 ways to play it on guitar, starting with the easiest.

How to play E7 on guitar

  1. Shape 1

    Open position

    2 1 E B D G♯ B E

    020100

  2. Shape 2

    Barre at fret 7

    7fr 1 3 4 E B D G♯ B

    x79797

  3. Shape 3

    Barre at fret 12

    12fr 1 3 2 E B D G♯ B E

    12-14-12-13-12-12

Notes in E7

Formula 1 3 5 ♭7
DegreeNote
1E
3G♯
5B
♭7D

Shape 1 step by step

  1. Put your middle finger on string 5 at fret 2.
  2. Put your index finger on string 3 at fret 1.
  3. Let strings 6, 4, 2, 1 ring open.
  4. Strum from string 6 to string 1.

Shape 2 step by step

  1. Lay your index finger flat across strings 5 to 1 at fret 7.
  2. Put your ring finger on string 4 at fret 9.
  3. Put your little finger on string 2 at fret 9.
  4. Don’t play string 6.
  5. Strum from string 5 to string 1.

Tune your guitar first

A chord only sounds right when your instrument is in tune. Check your strings with the free online tuner before you practise. Open the guitar tuner

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the E7 chord?

E dominant seventh has the notes E G♯ B D. Its formula is 1 3 5 ♭7. The numbers are steps of the major scale, counted from the root.

What is the easiest way to play E7 on guitar?

Start with shape 1 (open position), written as 020100 from string 6 to string 1. Here x means you don’t play that string and 0 means it rings open.

What is the difference between E7 and Emaj7?

E7 has the notes E G♯ B D, and Emaj7 has E G♯ B D♯. The only difference is that E7 has D where Emaj7 has D♯.

Dominant 7th chords in every key

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