Guitar chord · Sevenths
E dominant 7th chord on guitar
020100 · Open position
All 6 shapes, tab & fingering ↓
6 ways to play E7 on guitar, with finger positions, tabs and step-by-step instructions.
Bluesy tension that pulls strongly toward the chord a 5th below.
E7 is the V7 chord in A major. In minor keys: V7 in A minor.
- Notes
- EG♯BD
- Formula
- 135♭7
- Built from
- root · major 3rd · perfect 5th · minor 7th
Guitar
Standard tuning (E A D G B E) · 6 voicings · E string on the left · Other tunings →
How to play it · Open position
- 6th string (low E): play open E
- 5th string (A): 2nd fret, middle finger (2) B
- 4th string (D): play open D
- 3rd string (G): 1st fret, index finger (1) G♯
- 2nd string (B): play open B
- 1st string (high E): play open E
Tablature
e|--0---| B|--0---| G|--1---| D|--0---| A|--2---| E|--0---|
Top line is the high E string. x = don’t play, 0 = open string.
Every E7 note on the guitar neck
Bright dots are the selected voicing — the rest are other places you can find the same chord tones.
Tips for playing E7 on guitar
The open E shape with the ring finger lifted (020100), so the open D string adds the 7th.
You’ll find E7 in common progressions such as E7–A7–B7 (the 12-bar blues in E major) and Bm7–E7–Amaj7 (the jazz cadence in A major).
Learning guitar? E7 is part of stage 6 (“A7, D7 and E7”) of our first guitar chords path.
