E7 — E dominant seventh chord

A major triad with a minor seventh added. The interval between the third and the seventh is a diminished fifth, which is unstable and wants to resolve inwards.

1 = E
3 = G#
5 = B
b7 = D

Symbol: E7
Root: E
Quality: Dominant seventh
Family: seventh
Notes: E G# B D
Degree formula: 1 3 5 b7
Semitones from the root: 0 4 7 10
Distinct pitch classes: 4
Interval structure: Stacked from the root: 4 semitones, 3 semitones, 3 semitones
Notation: Written 7. The chord on the fifth degree of a key, and the standard blues chord.
Key: E · E major / C# minor key signature

Formula

The chord tones in order from the root, with the interval each one forms above it.

Degree	Note	Semitones	Interval from the root
1	E	0	Perfect unison
3	G#	4	Major third
5	B	7	Perfect fifth
b7	D	10	Minor seventh

Inversions

An inversion is the same set of notes with a different one in the bass. The last column gives the distance of each note above the bass note, in semitones.

Inversion	Bass note	Degree in the bass	Notes above the bass	Semitones above the bass
root position	E	1	E – G# – B – D	0 4 7 10
first inversion	G#	3	G# – B – D – E	0 3 6 8
second inversion	B	5	B – D – E – G#	0 3 5 9
third inversion	D	b7	D – E – G# – B	0 2 6 9

Inversion

Bass note

Degree in the bass

Notes above the bass

Semitones above the bass

root position

E – G# – B – D

0 4 7 10

first inversion

G# – B – D – E

0 3 6 8

second inversion

B – D – E – G#

0 3 5 9

third inversion

D – E – G# – B

0 2 6 9

Playable voicings

These shapes were found by searching the fretboard of a standard-tuned guitar (E A D G B E) rather than copied from a chord book. The search allows every string to sound or to be muted, rejects any shape with a muted string between two sounding strings, rejects any shape whose fretted notes span more than four frets (a five-fret window), requires every chord tone to be present, and then sorts what remains with root-position shapes first and the most compact, lowest shapes next. The shapes shown are the first six of that ordering; other orderings are possible at the same frets.

#	Shape (low string first)	Notes	Degrees	Bass	Span (frets)	Sounding strings
1	0-2-0-1-0-0 (6→1)	E B D G# B E	1 5 b7 3 5 1	E	2	6
2	12-11-12-13-12-12 (6→1)	E G# D G# B E	1 3 b7 3 5 1	E	2	6
3	12-14-12-13-12-12 (6→1)	E B D G# B E	1 5 b7 3 5 1	E	2	6
4	0-2-0-1-3-0 (6→1)	E B D G# D E	1 5 b7 3 b7 1	E	3	6
5	0-2-2-1-3-0 (6→1)	E B E G# D E	1 5 1 3 b7 1	E	3	6
6	12-11-9-9-9-10 (6→1)	E G# B E G# D	1 3 5 1 3 b7	E	3	6

Shape numbers run from the lowest string to the highest, so the left-hand number is the sixth string (low E) in standard tuning. Multiple shapes are listed because a chord can be voiced several ways, and because a lower position is not always the better sounding one.

Related chords and scales

KeyEverything in Escale, chords and neck map for this root
ScaleE mixolydianthe scale this chord comes from
ChordAthe chord this dominant seventh resolves to a fifth above
ChordEthe triad underneath it
ChordE9the same chord with a ninth added
ChordE7sus4the same chord with a suspended fourth
ChordE7b5the same chord with a flattened fifth
ScaleA major scalethe key in which this chord is the dominant

Everything in E · All chords

KeyKey of EE F# G# A B C# D# · E major / C# minor
ScaleE mixolydian7 notes · 1 2 3 4 5 6 b7
ChordA — Major1 3 5 · A C# E
ChordE — Major1 3 5 · E G# B
ChordE9 — Dominant ninth1 9 3 5 b7 · E F# G# B D
ChordE7sus4 — Dominant seventh suspended fourth1 4 5 b7 · E A B D
ChordE7b5 — Dominant seventh flat five1 3 b5 b7 · E G# Bb D
ScaleA major7 notes · 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Everything in this key: E · Chords · Theory Atlas