E seventh chord (E7)

E seventh is a 4-note dominant seventh chord: E – G♯ – B – D. It sounds tense: it wants to resolve to another chord. Here it is on guitar, piano and ukulele, with fingering and audio.

NotesE – G♯ – B – D
Formula1 – 3 – 5 – ♭7
SymbolE7 · Edom7
TypeDominant seventh chord

E seventh on guitar

Open position
Barre at fret 7 (A shape)

How to place your fingers (open position)

Finger 2 (middle) on fret 2 of string 5 (A).
Finger 1 (index) on fret 1 of the 3rd string (G).
The 6th, 4th, 2nd and 1st strings are played open.

The numbers inside the dots are the fingers of your left hand: 1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring and 4 pinky. The colored dots mark the root (E). The other positions let you change chords without jumping along the neck, or give you a higher-pitched sound.

E seventh on piano

In root position, play E – G♯ – B – D from bottom to top with fingers 1, 2, 3 and 5 of your right hand. With your left hand you usually play just the root (E) or the root and the fifth.

Inversions

First inversion: G♯ – B – D – E
Second inversion: B – D – E – G♯
Third inversion: D – E – G♯ – B

E seventh on ukulele

Open position
From fret 4

Standard tuning G – C – E – A (the G string is the high one). Is your ukulele in tune? Use the ukulele tuner.

Notes and intervals of E seventh

E1 · root
G♯3 · major third
B5 · perfect fifth
D♭7 · minor seventh

It's the dominant chord (V7): it sets up the arrival at the tonic and is the foundation of blues, son and many song endings.

Progressions with E7

A dominant that resolves: V7 – I

E7
A

E7 is the fifth degree of A major: its tension wants to resolve to A.

The ii–V–I: ii7 – V7 – Imaj7

The most common cadence in jazz and bossa nova.

Which keys contain E seventh?

E7 belongs to 2 keys: in each one it plays a different role depending on the degree (the Roman numeral).

Key	Degree
A major	V7
F♯ natural minor	VII7

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the E seventh chord?

E seventh (E7) has 4 notes: E (root), G♯ (major third), B (perfect fifth), D (minor seventh).

How do you play E seventh on guitar?

The easiest shape is in open position: 0 2 0 1 0 0 (from the 6th to the 1st string). Place finger 2 (middle finger) at fret 2 on the 5th string (A). Place finger 1 (index finger) at fret 1 on the 3rd string (G). The 6th, 4th, 2nd, and 1st strings are open.

How do you write E seventh as a chord symbol?

It is written E7; you may also see Edom7. Letter notation uses C, D, E, F, G, A, and B for the notes do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, and si.

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