The E7 Chord For Guitar: Several Ways To Play | Grow Guitar (2024)

The E7 chord is one of the easiest chords you can learn to add just a little bit of flair to your chord progressions. The addition of the 7th note always gives a song that extra little jazzy something.

If you are familiar with any of the other 7th chords we've learned, like the A7 or B7, you are already familiar with how much they can add to your music.

Today we will be covering several ways you can play this chord along the neck. We will also cover some of the theory behind building this chord as well as how to make your own chord progressions using this chord.

Let's get into it!

How To Play The E7 Chord

As you can see, with this version of E7, you simply play an E chord and leave out the E root note on the D string.

• index finger (1) on the G# note of the G string on the 1st fret
• middle finger (2) on the B note of the A string on the 2nd fret
• play the rest of the strings open

Variations Of The Chord

You can also give your E7 an extra boost by adding in a D note to the shape you learned above.

• index finger (1) on the G# note of the G string on the 1st fret
• middle finger (2) on the B note of the A string on the 2nd fret
• pinky finger (4) on the D note on the B string at the 3rd fret
• play the rest of the strings open

While the above two chord forms are simple, this may be the easiest version of the E7 chord. It is primarily used as a power chord in rock music.

• play the low E string open
• pinky finger (4) fretting the D note on the A string at the 5th fret
• mute the remaining strings

Another, rather simple, version of this chord is using the D7 chord shape moved up a couple of frets.

You use an Em7 barre chord shape on the 10th fret. Fret the strings like so:

• index finger (1) on the D note of the B string on the 3rd fret
• middle finger (2) on the B note of the G string on the 4th fret
• ring finger (3) on the G# note on the high e string on the 4th fret

Perhaps the most difficult version of this chord is using the open B7 chord shape.

This shape may make you fingers feel a bit like a twisted pretzel at first. But, after some practice, it will likely become one of your favorites to play.

• index finger (1) on the G# note of the D string on the 6th fret
• middle finger (2) on the E note of the A string on the 7th fret
• ring finger (3) on the D note on the A string on the 7th fret
• pinky finger (4) on the B note on the A string at the 7th fret
• play the rest of the strings open

The Theory Behind It

Learning how to build your own chords is a great skill to have. The way you build a major chord is by using pieces of the major scale to create what is called a major triad. The major triad uses the I, III, and V notes of the major scale. An E major chord uses:

• E (I)
• G# (III)
• B (V)

The E major scale looks like this:

To make your E chord a 7th chord, all you need to do is add in a bVII, or flat 7th, note.

• E (I)
• G# (III)
• B (V)
• D (bVII)

Complementary Chords

A chord is only as useful as the other chords around it. A key component of playing guitar is learning how to build progressions around each of your chords. Today we will learn how to build a progression around the E7 chord.

To do so, we will take a similar approach as we did to chord building. We will use a chord scale instead of a note scale.

The chords available in a E major chord scale are:

• E (I)
• F#m (ii)
• G#m (iii)
• A (IV)
• B (V)
• C#m (vi)
• D#dim (vii°)

Note: when a scale degree is lower case (example "iii") that means it is a minor chord. When a note contains the degree symbol (°) that means it is a diminished chord.

All you need to do to make your chord progression is choose some from the scale degrees. For instance, we went with the I7 - V - IV7 - vi7 progression, or E7 - B - A7 - C#m7.

This is how you play that progression:

A Couple E7 Chord Variations

So far, we have only learned open chord versions of E7. Let's try out a couple barre chords.

This barre is one of the easier ones to learn as a new guitarist. You only have to barre 2 strings. This will help you become accustomed to barre chords.

• index finger (1) barred across the E and G# notes on the G and B string on the 9th fret
• middle finger (2) fretting the D note on the high e string at the 10th fret
• mute the low E, A, and D strings

You can use an A shape barre chord on the 7th fret with the B bass note on the 7th fret.

This chord is interesting because it sounds good with muting and playing the low E string open.

• index finger (1) barring the E, A, D, F#, and B notes on the A, D, G, B, and e strings on the 7th fret
• ring finger (3) on the B note on the 9th fret
• pinky finger (4) on the G# note on the 9th fret
• play the low E either open or muted

Songs That Have The E7 Chord

Here are some popular songs across multiple genres that have an E7 chord in them:

• You Know I'm No Good by Amy Winehouse
• House Of The Rising Sun by The Animals
• Brian Wilson by Barenaked Ladies
• I Saw Her Standing There by The Beatles
• Yesterday by The Beatles
• No Rain by Blind Melon
• Amazing Grace (Hymn)
• Folsom Prison Blues by Johnny Cash
• I Walk The Line by Johnny Cash
• All These Things I've Done by The Killers
• My Guy by Mary Wells
• Oh! Susanna (Standard)
• All I Want by Toad The Wet Sprocket

Final Word

There are so many different ways you can play the E7 chord. Most of them are very simple too. Consider adding this chord into your next progression instead of an E chord.

See what you come up with the next time you play!

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