Which strings do I strum for E seven?

6 strings, from the thick E string down to the thin e. All six ring.

What notes are in an E seven chord?

E, G#, B, D. The E is the root, the note the chord is named after. The G# makes it major.

What chords go with E7?

Its neighbours on the circle of fifths, A and B, and its relative minor, C#m. Songs move between these because they share notes.

dominant seventh chord

How to play E seven chord on guitar

E major with one finger lifted. It sounds unfinished on purpose: it wants to go to A.

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Where the fingers go

1
middle finger, A string, fret 2
Count from the thick string: E A.
2
index finger, G string, fret 1
Count from the thick string: E A D G.
3
Leave the thick E, D, B, thin e strings open
They ring without any finger. They are part of the chord.
4
Strum 6 strings, from the thick E string down
All six strings belong to this chord.

The same shape seen along the neck, thin e on top. Numbers are fingers; 0 is an open string.

The notes in E7

A chord is three or four notes played together. E seven is built from these:

Note	Job in the chord	Where it is in this shape
E	root	thick E string, open; thin e string, open
G#	major third	G string, fret 1
B	fifth	A string, fret 2; B string, open
D	flat seventh	D string, open

The root, E, is the note it is named after. The second note decides the mood: a major third sounds bright, a minor third sounds sad. This chord sounds restless, it wants to move on.

Where it sits on the circle of fifths

The circle of fifths lines up the twelve keys so that neighbours share the most notes. Chords next to each other on the circle sound good one after the other, which is why songs move between them.

A and B are E7’s neighbours. Most songs in E7 use one or both.
C#m is its relative minor: the same notes, a different home. Swapping between them changes the mood without changing your hand much.
A seventh chord pulls to the chord one step anticlockwise. E7 wants to go to A or A minor.

The mistake everyone makes

Watch out

Lifting the wrong finger

Lift the ring finger from the D string so the D rings open. That open D is the seventh.

Tip

Listen for the pull

Play E7 then A minor. Feel how E7 leans forward and A minor lands.

Songs that use it

Blues in E, and the last chord before A or A minor in folk songs.

In those songs, E7 is followed by Am C E G . Practise those changes first.

Questions people ask

Which strings do I strum for E seven?: 6 strings, from the thick E string down to the thin e. All six ring.
What notes are in an E seven chord?: E, G#, B, D. The E is the root, the note the chord is named after. The G# makes it major.
What chords go with E7?: Its neighbours on the circle of fifths, A and B, and its relative minor, C#m. Songs move between these because they share notes.