E7 chord on ukulele

E7 is E, G♯, B and D. The easiest shape is 1-2-0-2. Hit Play and watch each string light as it sounds.

1-2-0-2 · open · easy

Notes: E · G♯ · B · D
Formula: 1 · 3 · 5 · ♭7
First shape: 1-2-0-2

How to play E7 on ukulele

Shape 1, 1-2-0-2, reading from the G string on the left:

Put your index finger on the G string at the 1st fret, which is G♯.
Put your middle finger on the C string at the 2nd fret, which is D.
Put your ring finger on the A string at the 2nd fret, which is B.
The open E string adds E; don't touch it.

If an open string sounds dead, a fingertip is leaning on it. Come down more on the tips, with your knuckles bent.
Strum with the pad of your index finger or thumb, all four strings, across the spot where the neck meets the body.

Other ways to play E7

4-4-4-5: movable shape at the 4th fret, medium. A different set of strings gives a different color of the same chord.
7-8-7-7: movable shape at the 7th fret, medium. Higher up the neck it sounds brighter; handy when another guitar is already playing a lower shape.

Capo shortcuts for E7

With a capo you can skip the harder shapes: capo on the 2nd fret and play the open D7 shape (2-2-2-3), capo on the 4th fret and play the open C7 shape (0-0-0-1), capo on the 5th fret and play the open B7 shape (2-3-2-0) or capo on the 7th fret and play the open A7 shape (0-1-0-0). Everything above the capo is fingered exactly like the open chord.

Changing from E7 to the chords around it

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 (1-2-0-2) to A (2-1-0-0): the index finger slides across to the C string at the same fret, the middle finger slides across to the G string at the same fret. Listen for E, which stays put while the rest moves. A on ukulele
Amaj7 (I in A major): E7 (1-2-0-2) to Amaj7 (1-1-0-0): your index finger stays put, your middle finger lands on the C string, 1st fret. Very little moves, so this change comes fast. Listen for E and G♯, which stay put while the rest moves. Amaj7 on ukulele
F♯m7 (vi in A major): E7 (1-2-0-2) to F♯m7 (2-4-2-4): your index finger lands on the G string, 2nd fret, the middle finger slides across to the E string at the same fret, move the ring finger to the C string, 4th fret, the pinky finger comes down on the A string, 4th fret. No finger can stay, so practice lifting all of them together and landing the new shape as a unit. Shared note: E. F♯m7 on ukulele

E7 is a dominant seventh chord: a major triad with a flattened seventh on top. All 4 notes of E7 fit on the ukulele's four strings. The slow arpeggio button above makes that quality easy to hear.

Practice E7 in two minutes

Before strumming, play 1-2-0-2 note by note: G♯ then D then E then B. A dead note tells you exactly which finger to fix. Next, alternate 1-2-0-2 and 4-4-4-5, slowly, until the change takes less than a beat.

Where E7 shows up

In E major, I7–IV7–V7 (12 bars) on ukulele is E7 (1-2-0-2), A7 (0-1-0-0) and B7 (2-3-2-2). About the 12-bar blues.

In A major, ii–V–I on ukulele is Bm7 (2-2-2-2), E7 (1-2-0-2) and Amaj7 (1-1-0-0). About the jazz cadence.

E7 on guitar and piano

Switching instruments? Try E7 on piano or E7 on guitar, or compare them on the E7 chord page.

Related E chords on ukulele

Other dominant seventh chords

E7 on ukulele: questions

What notes are in E7 on ukulele?

E, G♯, B and D. In the 1-2-0-2 shape the strings play G♯ (G string), D (C string), E (E string, open) and B (A string).

What's the easiest way to play E7 on ukulele?

1-2-0-2, the first shape on this page. It uses open strings, so there is no barre to press.

Is E7 a barre chord on ukulele?

Not usually: 1-2-0-2 needs no barre.

Which string does E7 start on?

In the 1-2-0-2 shape the lowest string you play is the G string at the 1st fret, which is G♯, the major third.

Checked automatically: no shape here plays a note outside E7. Updated September 2026.