E dominant seventh
How to play E7 — Dominant seventh
E7 (Dominant seventh)E · G♯ · B · D
Guitar samples: Acoustic guitar — University of Iowa (via tonejs-instruments, CC-BY 3.0)
E dominant seventh — notes and structure
The E7 chord is a major triad with a flat seventh — the bluesy, restless chord that wants to resolve, central to blues and jazz.
The E7 dominant seventh consists of the notes E, G♯, B, D. Its interval structure is R–3–5–7 — the root, then each chord tone stacked above it. This is the same chord you see in the interactive finder above, drawn on the guitar fretboard with the root circled and every chord tone labelled.
E7 stacks a major third (G♯), a perfect fifth (B) and a minor seventh (D) above the root E.
The finder shows 2 ways to play E7 — an open-position shape reaching up to the 4th fret. None of them need a barre.
What key is E7 in?
Every note of E7 belongs to the scales below, so the chord sounds at home in each of these keys — the roman numeral is the degree it sits on.
- A major — the V chord
- F♯ minor — the VII chord
Chords that go with E7
In A major, the chords built on the first, fourth and fifth degrees carry most songs — put E7 next to these:
Frequently asked questions
- What notes are in the E dominant seventh chord?
- The E7 chord contains the notes E, G♯, B, D. It is a major triad with a flat seventh — the bluesy, restless chord that wants to resolve, central to blues and jazz.
- How many ways can you play E7 on guitar?
- 2 voicings are shown on this page — from open position up the neck — each with its own fingering diagram and audio.
- Is E7 a hard chord to play?
- It is fairly beginner-friendly — there is an open-position shape and none of the voicings need a barre.
- What key does E7 belong to?
- E7 fits A major (where it is the V chord), F♯ minor (where it is the VII chord) — every note of the chord is in those scales.