E7 Chord on Ukulele
E7 = E – G# – B – D (Root, Major 3rd, Perfect 5th, Minor 7th)
E7 is, unexpectedly, a far friendlier shape than plain E major: index finger on the G string's first fret, middle finger on the C string's second fret, and ring finger on the A string's second fret, with the E string left open. Adding the flatted seventh actually removes the barre requirement entirely, since the seventh happens to fall exactly on the open E string — a rare case on this instrument where a seventh chord is dramatically easier than its own parent triad.
As the dominant seventh built on E, this chord functions as the V7 in the key of A, giving E7-to-A a stronger, more urgent pull than the plain E-to-A move thanks to the added tritone tension between the chord's third and seventh. Its sound carries real bite, brighter and more insistent than the softer dominant sevenths built lower on the neck like C7 or G7, since three of its four notes sit fretted rather than open. E7 is also a favorite substitute for players who want the harmonic function of E major in a progression without tackling that chord's demanding barre — since both chords resolve identically to A, swapping E7 in for E is often musically seamless.
Fingerings
Open Position
How to Practice It
Because the three fretted notes climb in a simple ascending pattern — first fret, second fret, second fret — many players find this shape becomes automatic quickly once the hand recognizes that ascending contour. Keep the open E string ringing clearly underneath the other three fingers; it's easy to let the middle finger's approach brush against it while reaching for the C string. Practicing E7-to-A directly is the most useful drill, since that's the cadence this chord almost always sets up, and it's worth comparing E7 against plain E major back to back to feel how dramatically the difficulty drops once the barre is replaced by three independent low-fret fingers.
Common Progressions
- V7 – I (E7 – A)
- I – IV – V7 – I (A – D – E7 – A)
- ii – V7 – I (Bm – E7 – A)
- A and E7 alone make a simple, effective two-chord vamp.
FAQ
- Is E7 easier than plain E major on ukulele?
- Considerably — the added seventh falls exactly on the open E string, which removes the demanding three-string barre that plain E major needs, replacing it with three simple, low-fret independent fingers instead.
- What does E7 resolve into?
- A major — E7 is the V7 chord in the key of A, so it sets up that resolution with more urgency than a plain E-to-A move thanks to the tension the added seventh creates.
- Can E7 substitute for plain E major in a progression?
- Often, yes — since both chords share the same harmonic function and resolve the same way, swapping the easier E7 shape in for the demanding E major barre is a common practical shortcut, especially for a still-developing barre technique.
- Why does E7 use an open E string rather than fretting it?
- Because the chord's own root pitch, E, is exactly what the open E string already sounds — the flatted seventh of an E7 chord is D, which coincidentally is not the open string's note, but the open E string here supplies the chord's root rather than needing to be fretted at all, since a dominant seventh's root, third, fifth, and seventh spread naturally across the other three strings.
- What order should the fingers land in for E7?
- The ascending pattern — first fret, then second, then second again — reads naturally to most hands moving from the G string toward the A string, which is part of why this shape tends to feel intuitive relatively quickly.
- Does E7 appear in styles other than straightforward A-major songs?
- Yes — it's a natural secondary dominant, briefly tonicizing A even inside a song centered on D or another neighboring key, adding a moment of harmonic color before the progression returns to its main tonal center.
- How does E7 compare to A7 in terms of hand position?
- Both are compact, low-fret dominant sevenths built mostly from independent fingers rather than a barre, so practicing them back to back is a useful way to build general comfort with this family of easy seventh-chord shapes across different roots.
E7 on other instruments: E7 on Guitar, E7 on Piano. Related: how chords are built, chord finder.