Which strings do I strum for G seven?

6 strings, from the thick E string down to the thin e. All six ring.

What notes are in a G seven chord?

G, B, D, F. The G is the root, the note the chord is named after. The B makes it major.

What chords go with G7?

Its neighbours on the circle of fifths, C and D, and its relative minor, Em. Songs move between these because they share notes.

dominant seventh chord

G seven chord on guitar

G with the thin e string brought down to fret 1. Softer than G, and it leans toward C.

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Where the fingers go

1
ring finger, thick E string, fret 3
The thickest string, nearest the ceiling.
2
middle finger, A string, fret 2
Count from the thick string: E A.
3
index finger, thin e string, fret 1
The thinnest string, nearest the floor.
4
Leave the D, G, B strings open
They ring without any finger. They are part of the chord.
5
Strum 6 strings, from the thick E string down
All six strings belong to this chord.

The same shape seen along the neck, thin e on top. Numbers are fingers; 0 is an open string.

The notes in G7

A chord is three or four notes played together. G seven is built from these:

Note	Job in the chord	Where it is in this shape
G	root	thick E string, fret 3; G string, open
B	major third	A string, fret 2; B string, open
D	fifth	D string, open
F	flat seventh	thin e string, fret 1

The root, G, 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.

C and D are G7’s neighbours. Most songs in G7 use one or both.
Em 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. G7 wants to go to C.

The mistake everyone makes

Watch out

The old ring finger stays

The finger on the thin e moves from fret 3 to fret 1. Nothing stays at fret 3 on that string.

Tip

G7 to C

The index finger is already on fret 1; it slides one string over. The easiest change in this list.

Songs that use it

Songs in C. The chord that leads home to C.

In those songs, G7 is followed by C . Practise those changes first.

Questions people ask

Which strings do I strum for G seven?: 6 strings, from the thick E string down to the thin e. All six ring.
What notes are in a G seven chord?: G, B, D, F. The G is the root, the note the chord is named after. The B makes it major.
What chords go with G7?: Its neighbours on the circle of fifths, C and D, and its relative minor, Em. Songs move between these because they share notes.