Chord · E Dominant 7th
E7 Chord
E7 is E, G#, B and D — tense; wants to resolve down a fifth. Blues and jazz workhorse.
E7 on every instrument
The same 4 notes, 6 sets of hands. Open a diagram for alternate shapes, audio and the mistakes to avoid.
What E7 is made of
E7 (E seventh) is built from the notes E, G#, B, D, with the interval pattern 1, 3, 5, b7.
Stack 1, 3, 5 and b7 on a root of E and you get E, G#, B and D. That interval recipe is what makes the chord a seventh chord — move the same shape to another root and the character travels with it, which is why C7 sounds like a transposed E7.
Dominant 7th: Tense; wants to resolve down a fifth. Blues and jazz workhorse.
Spelling: the notes above are written the way a score would write them, not simplified to the nearest piano key. That is why this chord is spelled with G♯ rather than its enharmonic equivalent.
Keys that contain E7
All 4 notes sit inside the scale of 2 keys. The roman numeral marks the degree the chord is rooted on.
Major keys
Minor keys
Other chords on E
Same root, different colour.
The same seventh shape, moved
The identical interval recipe, built on other roots.
Questions people ask about E7
- What notes are in the E7 chord?
- E7 is made of E, G#, B and D — the 1, 3, 5 and b7 degrees of a seventh chord built on E.
- What keys use the E7 chord?
- Every note of E7 belongs to 2 keys: A Major (V), F# Minor (VII). The roman numeral is the scale degree the chord is rooted on.
- How do you play E7 on guitar and piano?
- This page shows E7 on guitar, piano, ukulele, bass, mandolin and banjo — 18 voicings in total. Each diagram links to the full instrument page with alternate shapes, audio and common mistakes.
Learn the theory behind it
Why E7 behaves the way it does — the guides that explain the chord instead of just spelling it.