Piano chord
E 7 chord
E7 is a dominant seventh chord: the root E, a major 3rd up to G♯, a perfect 5th up to B and a minor 7th up to D.
- Symbol
- E7
- Notes
- E – G♯ – B – D
Play it yourself
Tap E, G♯, B and D on the keys below, in any order.
- E
- G♯
- B
- D
Dominant seventh chords add a minor seventh to a major triad. That extra note creates the pull you hear at the end of a phrase, and it is the backbone of blues and jazz.
Inversions of E7
An inversion keeps the same notes but puts a different one at the bottom. Pianists use them to move between chords with less jumping.
- Root position
E – G♯ – B – D
- 1st inversion · E7/G♯
G♯ – B – D – E
- 2nd inversion · E7/B
B – D – E – G♯
- 3rd inversion · E7/D
D – E – G♯ – B
Keys with E7
E7 occurs naturally in these keys. The Roman numeral shows which step of the scale it is built on.