E7 Chord on Guitar
E7 = E – G# – B – D (Root, Major 3rd, Perfect 5th, Minor 7th)
E7 lightens the full six-string E major shape by dropping one finger entirely: 0-2-0-1-0-0, with the middle finger holding the A string's second fret and the index finger dropping to the D string's first fret, while the low E, G, B and high e strings all ring open around them. That's genuinely fewer fretted notes than plain E major needs, since the note E major frets on the G string's first fret becomes an open string here instead, replaced structurally by the flat seventh's presence elsewhere in the chord.
The added flat seventh (D natural) gives E7 the same pulling, unresolved tension every dominant seventh has, and as the V7 of A major it drives one of the guitar's foundational cadences, E7 resolving to A, a motion that anchors countless folk, blues and rock songs built around that key. It's also the quintessential blues dominant in the key of E, forming the I7 chord in a standard twelve-bar blues progression, where E7-A7-B7 covers the entire harmonic structure of the form. Because it keeps most of E major's low-end weight (the open low E string still rings) while adding the bluesy edge of the flat seventh, E7 has a fuller, grittier sound than the thinner D7 or A7 voicings, which is part of why it's such a natural fit for blues and blues-rock rhythm playing specifically. Its close fingering relationship to plain E major — sharing three of the same open strings — also makes the switch between the two nearly seamless mid-song.
Fingerings
Open Position
How to Practice It
Because E7 actually needs one fewer fretted note than plain E major, use it as a lesson in efficient voicing: practice moving directly from E major by simply lifting the ring finger off the G string, letting it ring open instead, which is the entire physical change required. Confirm the index finger's D-string note stays firmly fretted while the other open strings ring freely around it, since a common early mistake is letting that one fretted note go slightly sharp or buzz from too light a touch. Drill the E7-to-A resolution specifically, since it's one of the guitar's most frequently repeated cadences, and also practice E7 as a static blues vamp, letting it ring for several bars to get comfortable with its gritty, unresolved character on its own terms. Because the chord uses so many open strings, it's also a good candidate for practicing selective muting with the picking hand, deadening individual strings briefly for a percussive blues shuffle rhythm. Once the basic shape is secure, try adding a quick hammer-on from the open D string up to the first fret and back as a decorative blues lick, since that exact motion outlines the chord's own seventh and echoes a classic blues rhythm-guitar embellishment heard constantly in the genre.
Common Progressions
- V7–I in A major: E7 – A
- I7–IV7–V7 twelve-bar blues in E: E7 – A7 – B7
- V7–i in A minor: E7 – Am
FAQ
- Is E7 easier or harder to play than plain E major?
- Easier, slightly — E7 needs only two fretted notes compared to plain E major's three, since the note E major frets on the G string is replaced here by that same string ringing open instead.
- Why is E7 so central to blues guitar?
- It's the I7 chord of a standard twelve-bar blues in the key of E, alongside A7 (IV7) and B7 (V7), and its full, gritty voicing (still using the open low E string) gives it real weight that thinner dominant-seventh shapes elsewhere on the neck don't have.
- What note does E7 add to plain E major?
- A flat seventh, D natural, which creates the chord's restless, unresolved pull and is the note responsible for turning a stable major triad into a dominant seventh wanting to resolve, in this case most naturally to A.
- Can E7 be used as a home chord rather than just a resolving one?
- In blues specifically, yes — the twelve-bar blues form treats the I chord itself as a dominant seventh rather than a plain triad, so E7 functions as a genuine tonic in that context even though its harmonic tension would normally want to resolve elsewhere in other styles.
- Why does E7 feel so natural to switch to from open E major?
- The two chords share three of their four sounding notes and the identical low-E root, so the physical change is a single finger lifting off the G string, which is about as small a transition as exists anywhere in the open-chord vocabulary.
- Does E7 sound different on acoustic versus electric guitar?
- The underlying notes stay identical, but an acoustic tends to emphasize the resonant body frequencies around the open strings, giving E7 a rounder, more sustained ring, while an electric guitar, especially with any gain, brings out the fretted notes' bite more sharply, a difference many blues players lean into deliberately depending on the sound they're after.
E7 on other instruments: E7 on Piano, E7 on Ukulele. Related: how chords are built, chord finder.