E7 chord on guitar

E7 is E, G♯, B and D. The easiest shape is 0-2-0-1-0-0. Press Play to hear it, then try it at half speed.

0-2-0-1-0-0 · open · easy

Notes: E · G♯ · B · D
Formula: 1 · 3 · 5 · ♭7
First shape: 0-2-0-1-0-0

How to play E7 on guitar

Shape 1, 0-2-0-1-0-0, reading from the low E string on the left:

Put your index finger on the G string at the 1st fret, which is G♯.
Put your middle finger on the A string at the 2nd fret, which is B.
The open low E, D, B and high E strings add E, D, B and E; don't touch them.

Arch your fingers so their tips come down vertically. That keeps them off the open strings, which have to ring for the chord to sound complete.

Other ways to play E7

12-14-12-13-12-12: barre shape at the 12th fret, medium. Built on the E7 open shape with the barre as a movable nut; the root is on the 6th string.
x-7-9-7-9-7: barre shape at the 7th fret, medium. This is the open A7 shape with a barre behind it, root on the 5th string.
x-7-x-7-5-4: movable shape at the 4th fret, medium. Only the thinner strings sound, which cuts through a band without getting muddy.

Capo shortcuts for E7

A capo turns an open chord into E7: capo on the 2nd fret and play the open D7 shape (x-x-0-2-1-2), capo on the 4th fret and play the open C7 shape (x-3-2-3-1-0), capo on the 5th fret and play the open B7 shape (x-2-1-2-0-2) or capo on the 7th fret and play the open A7 shape (x-0-2-0-2-0). Handy when the rest of the song's chords also have open shapes in that position.

Moving between E7 and its neighbours

These are the changes you'll meet most often with E7, using the first shape of each chord.

A (the V7 pulls home a fifth below): E7 (0-2-0-1-0-0) to A (x-0-2-2-2-0): your index finger lands on the D string, 2nd fret, the middle finger goes to the G string, 2nd fret, the ring finger comes down on the B string, 2nd fret. Nothing carries over, so drill it slowly, lifting and landing all fingers at once. Shared note: E. A on guitar
Amaj7 (I in A major): E7 (0-2-0-1-0-0) to Amaj7 (x-0-2-1-2-0): your index finger stays put, the middle finger slides across to the D string at the same fret, the ring finger comes down on the B string, 2nd fret. Shared notes: E and G♯. Amaj7 on guitar
F♯m7 (vi in A major): E7 (0-2-0-1-0-0) to F♯m7 (2-4-2-2-2-2): the index finger lays across the low E to high E strings at the 2nd fret, your middle finger lands on the A string, 4th fret. E carries over from one chord to the other. F♯m7 on guitar

E7 is a dominant seventh chord: a major triad with a flattened seventh on top. Use E7 where you want motion: it leans toward the chord a fifth below and turns up on almost every blues. Play it once strummed and once picked to hear the difference.

Practice E7 in two minutes

Arpeggiate 0-2-0-1-0-0 from the lowest string: E, B, D, G♯, B, E. Then strum it and listen for the same 6 notes together. Finish by moving between 0-2-0-1-0-0 and 12-14-12-13-12-12 to learn two positions of the same chord.

E7 in context

In E major, I7–IV7–V7 (12 bars) on guitar is E7 (0-2-0-1-0-0), A7 (x-0-2-0-2-0) and B7 (x-2-1-2-0-2). About the 12-bar blues.

In A major, ii–V–I on guitar is Bm7 (x-2-0-2-0-2), E7 (0-2-0-1-0-0) and Amaj7 (x-0-2-1-2-0). About the jazz cadence.

E7 on piano and ukulele

Switching instruments? Try E7 on ukulele or E7 on piano, or compare them on the E7 chord page.

Close to E7

Other dominant seventh chords

E7 on guitar: questions

What notes are in E7 on guitar?

E, G♯, B and D. In the 0-2-0-1-0-0 shape the strings play E (low E string, open), B (A string), D (D string, open), G♯ (G string), B (B string, open) and E (high E string, open), so E and B are doubled.

What's the easiest way to play E7 on guitar?

0-2-0-1-0-0, the first shape on this page. It uses open strings, so there is no barre to press.

Is E7 a barre chord on guitar?

Not in its common form: 0-2-0-1-0-0 needs no barre. The barre versions come later, higher on the neck.

Which string does E7 start on?

In the 0-2-0-1-0-0 shape the lowest string you play is the low E string, open, which is E, the root.

Shapes and sound are generated from the notes E, G♯, B and D and tested automatically. Updated September 2026.