dominant seventh chord
E seven chord on guitar
E major with one finger lifted. It sounds unfinished on purpose: it wants to go to A.
Where the fingers go
- 1
middle finger, A string, fret 2
Count from the thick string: E A.
- 2
index finger, G string, fret 1
Count from the thick string: E A D G.
- 3
Leave the thick E, D, B, thin e strings open
They ring without any finger. They are part of the chord.
- 4
Strum 6 strings, from the thick E string down
All six strings belong to this chord.
The notes in E7
A chord is three or four notes played together. E seven is built from these:
| Note | Job in the chord | Where it is in this shape |
|---|---|---|
| E | root | thick E string, open; thin e string, open |
| G# | major third | G string, fret 1 |
| B | fifth | A string, fret 2; B string, open |
| D | flat seventh | D string, open |
The root, E, is the note it is named after. The second note decides the mood: a major third sounds bright, a minor third sounds sad. This chord sounds restless, it wants to move on.
Where it sits on the circle of fifths
The circle of fifths lines up the twelve keys so that neighbours share the most notes. Chords next to each other on the circle sound good one after the other, which is why songs move between them.
- A and B are E7’s neighbours. Most songs in E7 use one or both.
- C#m is its relative minor: the same notes, a different home. Swapping between them changes the mood without changing your hand much.
- A seventh chord pulls to the chord one step anticlockwise. E7 wants to go to A or A minor.
The mistake everyone makes
Watch out
Lifting the wrong finger
Lift the ring finger from the D string so the D rings open. That open D is the seventh.
Tip
Listen for the pull
Play E7 then A minor. Feel how E7 leans forward and A minor lands.
Songs that use it
Blues in E, and the last chord before A or A minor in folk songs.
None of the songs on the site use E7 yet. It is coming with the next batch.
Questions people ask
- Which strings do I strum for E seven?
- 6 strings, from the thick E string down to the thin e. All six ring.
- What notes are in a E seven chord?
- E, G#, B, D. The E is the root, the note the chord is named after. The G# makes it major.
- What chords go with E7?
- Its neighbours on the circle of fifths, A and B, and its relative minor, C#m. Songs move between these because they share notes.