As the VA major
- ii7Bm7
- V7E7
- Imaj7Amaj7
E7 is the chord that wants to resolve, so ending the loop on it hands straight back to the top.
E7 Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The E7 chord is a dominant seventh chord built on the root note E. Its notes are E, G♯, B and D.
Transpose
Quality
Short answer
Dominant seventh chords sound tense and bluesy. The minor seventh on top of a major triad creates a pull toward a resolution, which is why this chord powers the blues and drives cadences in jazz and pop.
- Notes
- E · G♯ · B · D
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · 5 · ♭7
- Semitones
- 0 · 4 · 7 · 10
- Note
- E
- Quality
- Dominant 7
- Symbol
- E7
E7 on piano
4 notesView:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
To play E7 on piano, place your right hand with your thumb on E, index finger on G♯, middle finger on B and little finger on D. Press the keys together and listen for an even sound. On the keyboard G♯ is a black key and E, B and D are white. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
- E1
- G♯3
- B5
- D♭7
E7 on guitar
View:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, E7 is commonly played with the voicing shown above. The fretted notes sit between frets 1 and 2. Strings 6, 4, 2 and 1 ring open.
E · G♯ · B · D
Try E7 on the virtual piano
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E7 chord notes
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | E | |
| 3 | Major third | 4 | G♯(G#) | |
| 5 | Perfect fifth | 7 | B | |
| ♭7 | Minor seventh | 10 | D |
How to use the E7 chord
The E7 chord is built from a root, a major third, a perfect fifth and a minor seventh. Start at the root E and stack the intervals to get the whole chord: E, G♯, B and D. The same formula gives you the chord in any other key.
Blues, jazz, funk and rock'n'roll all run on dominant seventh chords. They typically act as the V7 resolving back to the tonic, or carry a twelve-bar blues from end to end.
In major keys E7 is the V7 in A major; in minor keys it's the V7 in A minor and the VII7 in F♯ minor. As the V7 of A minor it takes its third, G♯, from the harmonic minor scale: the key's seventh degree, raised a half step.
How E7 differs from similar chords
E7 and Emaj7 look alike on paper and sound opposite: the seventh of E7 is a whole step below the octave, the seventh of Emaj7 only a half step. That minor seventh forms a tritone with the major third, the interval that makes E7 want to move on. Emaj7 has no tritone, so it can rest.
Songs that use the E7 chord
These well-known tracks all play the E7 chord somewhere - they are not necessarily in that key.
- 1Fly Me to the MoonFrank Sinatra
- 2Girl from IpanemaJoao Gilberto
- 3Georgia on My MindRay Charles
- 4Autumn LeavesStandard
- 5Round MidnightThelonious Monk
Where E7 is used
A dominant chord wants to resolve. Its home is the V of a major key - and the I of a blues, where the pull never lets up.
As the I of a bluesE major
The twelve-bar shape boiled down. The tonic is itself a dominant seventh, which is what makes it a blues.
As the V of a turnaroundA major
The turnaround at the end of a chorus: E7 is the chord that sends it round again.
Questions people ask
- What notes are in the E7 chord?
- The E7 chord contains E, G♯, B and D (E, G#, B and D in plain text).
- Is the E7 chord major or minor?
- E7 is a dominant seventh chord. Dominant seventh chords sound tense and bluesy. The minor seventh on top of a major triad creates a pull toward a resolution, which is why this chord powers the blues and drives cadences in jazz and pop.
- What key is the E7 chord in?
- In major keys E7 is the V7 in A major; in minor keys it's the V7 in A minor and the VII7 in F♯ minor. As the V7 of A minor it takes its third, G♯, from the harmonic minor scale: the key's seventh degree, raised a half step.
- How do you play E7 on piano?
- Place your fingers on E, G♯, B and D and play them together. The root usually goes to the little finger of the left hand, the upper notes to the right. On the keyboard G♯ is a black key and E, B and D are white.
- How do you play E7 on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. The fretted notes sit between frets 1 and 2. Strings 6, 4, 2 and 1 ring open.
- What chords work well with E7?
- E7 pairs naturally with the chords in the related section: a perfect fifth up or down, the relative major or minor, and anything sharing two notes with it.