E7 chord on piano
E7 is E, G♯, B and D. E sits just right of the pair of black keys. Tap Play, then slow it down.
root position · E–G♯–B–D · right hand 1-2-3-5
- Notes
- E · G♯ · B · D
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · 5 · ♭7
How to play E7 on piano
From E, go 4 half steps up to G♯, 3 half steps up to B then 3 half steps up to D. Press the 4 keys together and that's E7.
- Right hand: 1 on E, 2 on G♯, 3 on B and 5 on D.
- Left hand: 5 on E, 3 on G♯, 2 on B and 1 on D.
- On the keyboard it's white, black, white and white keys, the same pattern as D7 and A7, so your hand shape carries over.
E7 inversions
- root position: E–G♯–B–D. Fingers 1-2-3-5.
- 1st inversion: G♯–B–D–E (G♯ in the bass). RH 1-2-3-5.
- 2nd inversion: B–D–E–G♯ (B in the bass). Right hand 1-2-3-5.
- 3rd inversion: D–E–G♯–B, with D at the bottom. Fingers 1-2-3-5.
Inversions keep the same notes and change which one is lowest. Moving between chords, pick the inversion that keeps your hand closest to where it already is.
E7 chord changes
These are the changes you'll meet most often with E7, using the first shape of each chord.
- A (the V7 pulls home a fifth below): E7 to A: play A in 2nd inversion (E–A–C♯) and E stays under the same finger, while G♯ moves up to A and D down to C♯. A on piano
- Amaj7 (I in A major): E7 to Amaj7: play Amaj7 in 2nd inversion (E–G♯–A–C♯) and E and G♯ stay under the same fingers, while B moves down to A and D down to C♯. Amaj7 on piano
- F♯m7 (vi in A major): E7 to F♯m7: play F♯m7 in 3rd inversion (E–F♯–A–C♯) and E stays under the same finger, while G♯ moves down to F♯, B down to A and D down to C♯. F♯m7 on piano
E7 is a dominant seventh chord: a major triad with a flattened seventh on top. Use E7 where you want motion: it leans toward the chord a fifth below and turns up on almost every blues. Play it solid and then broken to hear the difference.
A short E7 drill
Roll the chord up and back down, E, G♯, B, D, B, G♯, E, before playing it as a block. Then climb the inversions: E–G♯–B–D, then G♯–B–D–E, then B–D–E–G♯, then D–E–G♯–B.
The keys of E7
E7 is a dominant seventh chord, 1–3–5–♭7 from E. Root position, from the bottom: how E7 is built.
| Note | Key | Fingers | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| E | white key | RH 1 · LH 5 | root |
| G♯ | black key | RH 2 · LH 3 | major third |
| B | white key | RH 3 · LH 2 | perfect fifth |
| D | white key | RH 5 · LH 1 | minor seventh |
Where E7 shows up
In E major, I7–IV7–V7 (12 bars) on piano is E7 (E–G♯–B–D), A7 (A–C♯–E–G) and B7 (B–D♯–F♯–A). About the 12-bar blues.
In A major, ii–V–I on piano is Bm7 (B–D–F♯–A), E7 (E–G♯–B–D) and Amaj7 (A–C♯–E–G♯). About the jazz cadence.
E7 on guitar and ukulele
E7 on guitar and ukulele uses the same 4 notes in a different layout. See all three together.
Related E chords on piano
Other dominant seventh chords
E7 on piano: questions
What notes are in E7 on piano?
E, G♯, B and D: E (white key), G♯ (black key), B (white key) and D (white key). Right hand 1-2-3-5, left hand 5-3-2-1.
How do you play E7 on piano?
Press E, G♯, B and D together (1 black, 3 white). Right hand: 1 on E, 2 on G♯, 3 on B and 5 on D.
What are the inversions of E7?
1st inversion (G♯–B–D–E), 2nd inversion (B–D–E–G♯) and 3rd inversion (D–E–G♯–B), after root position (E–G♯–B–D). Each keeps all the notes of the chord.
What does E7 look like on the keyboard?
white, black, white and white keys, the same pattern as D7 and A7, so one hand shape covers all of them.
Checked automatically: no shape here plays a note outside E7. Updated September 2026.