E dominant 7 (E7) — E, G♯, B, D — is E major with a minor 7th. On guitar, the open E7 voicing (020100) is the easiest jazz chord on the instrument because every note except G♯ rings on an open string. The chord is the V7 of A major and the I7 of E blues — the most-played blues key on guitar.
Intervals
The E dominant 7 chord stacks two thirds on the root. Each interval and its size in semitones:
- E→G#major 3rd4 semitones
- G#→Bminor 3rd3 semitones
- B→Dminor 3rd3 semitones
On the keyboard
Each note of the E dominant 7 chord highlighted on a piano. Pitch class is what matters — any octave works.
On the guitar
One voicing of the E dominant 7 chord on a six-string guitar fretboard.
- 1E
- 3G#
- 5B
- ♭7D
Common mistakes
E7 has D natural as its 7th — a half-step lower than Emaj7 (which has D♯). Replacing D with D♯ produces Emaj7 (a stable tonic chord). The blues-defining D natural is what makes E7 sound bluesy and unresolved. On guitar, the open E7 (020100) is among the first jazz chords beginners learn.
In context
E7 is the V7 of A major (E7 → A is the cadence in every A-major folk and rock tune) and the I7 of E blues. The 12-bar blues in E is built on E7, A7, and B7 — three of the most-played dominant chords on guitar. In ii–V–I in A major, the progression runs Bm7 → E7 → Amaj7.
Drill it
The E dominant 7 chord is one of 48 in the Chord Trainer. Open the full trainer to practice it alongside related chords with timing and best-time tracking.
Open the Chord Trainer →Or try today's Etudle puzzleRelated
Frequently asked
- What notes are in an E7 chord?
- E7 contains four notes: E (root), G♯ (major third), B (perfect fifth), and D (minor seventh).
- How do you play E7 on guitar?
- The open E7 voicing is 020100: open low E, B (2nd fret 5th string), open D, G♯ (1st fret 3rd string), open B, open high E. The D 7th rings on an open string, making the chord uniquely playable.
- How is E7 different from Emaj7?
- Only the seventh changes. E7 has D natural; Emaj7 has D♯. E7 sounds bluesy and pulls toward A; Emaj7 sits stably as a tonic.
- What pieces use E7?
- Every blues in E uses E7, A7, B7. The Beatles' "Twist and Shout" is built on D-G-A (transposed to E it would be E-A-B7). Chuck Berry's riffs are almost all dominant-7 figures built around E7 voicings.