Seventh Chords on Guitar: Dominant, Major 7 and Minor 7 Explained

Once you know your basic open chords, seventh chords are the easiest way to make your playing sound more interesting. Swap a plain chord for its seventh version and a simple progression suddenly sounds bluesy, jazzy or dreamy, depending on which type you use.

Many open seventh chords are actually easier than the chords you already know, because they leave out a finger. This guide explains the three main types, gives you the shapes to learn first, and shows you exactly when to use each one.

What makes a seventh chord?

A basic major or minor chord, called a triad, has three different notes: the root, the third and the fifth. A seventh chord adds a fourth note, the seventh, which sits just below the root an octave up.

That one extra note changes the mood of the chord. Depending on exactly which seventh you add, you get three very different sounds:

Don't worry about the theory if it doesn't interest you yet. The most important thing is to learn the shapes and hear the difference. If you are curious, our guide to music theory for guitar beginners explains how chords are built.

Dominant seventh chords (the bluesy ones)

When people say "seventh chord" without specifying, they usually mean a dominant seventh. These are the chords that give blues and early rock and roll their sound.

E7

Play an E major chord, then lift your ring finger off the D string. That's it. The open D string adds the seventh. E7 is one of the easiest chords on the guitar and sounds great in blues.

A7

Play A major, then lift the finger off the G string, letting the open G ring. Use your middle finger on the D string and ring finger on the B string, both at the second fret.

D7

D7 looks like a flipped D chord: middle finger on the second fret of the G string, index on the first fret of the B string, ring on the second fret of the high E. Strum the top four strings.

G7

Like G, but with your index finger on the first fret of the high E string instead of the third fret. G7 pulls strongly toward C, which is why you'll see G7 to C at the end of countless songs.

C7

Play C, then add your pinky on the third fret of the G string. It's a bit of a stretch at first but gives a lovely bluesy sound, and it pulls naturally toward F.

B7

B7 uses four fingers and takes a little practice: middle on the second fret of the A string, index on the first fret of the D string, ring on the second fret of the G string, the B string open, and pinky on the second fret of the high E. It's essential for songs in E and the twelve-bar blues.

Major seventh chords (the dreamy ones)

Major seventh chords sound soft, warm and a little wistful. They show up constantly in ballads, jazz, bossa nova and laid-back pop.

Cmaj7

Play C, then lift your index finger off the B string so it rings open. Two fingers, one beautiful chord. Alternate between C and Cmaj7 and listen to how the mood shifts.

Fmaj7

Fmaj7 is the best-known "easy F." Ring finger on the third fret of the D string, middle on the second fret of the G string, index on the first fret of the B string, high E open. It works in place of F in many songs.

Amaj7

Like A major, but with your index finger moved down to the first fret of the G string. The result is warm and gentle.

Dmaj7

Lay your index finger across the second fret of the G, B and high E strings, and strum from the open D. A simple, shimmering sound.

Minor seventh chords (the mellow ones)

Minor seventh chords soften the sadness of a minor chord. They're very common in pop, soul, R&B and funk, and they're easy to play.

Am7

Play A minor and lift your ring finger off the G string. Two fingers again. Am7 sounds great alternating with Cmaj7 or Fmaj7.

Em7

The shape here keeps your E minor fingers and adds your pinky on the third fret of the B string. A simpler version is to play E minor and lift your middle finger off the D string, which also gives Em7.

Dm7

Lay your index finger across the first fret of the B and high E strings and put your middle finger on the second fret of the G string. Strum from the D string.

Bm7

The open Bm7 shown here avoids a full barre: index on the second fret of the A string, middle on the second fret of the G string, pinky (or ring) on the second fret of the high E, with the D and B strings open. It's much easier than a full B minor barre chord.

Movable seventh chord shapes

Once you're comfortable with barre chords, you can play any seventh chord anywhere on the neck using movable shapes. Take the E-shape barre chord and remove the finger that would be on the D string to get a dominant seventh; remove the finger on the G string from an E-minor-shape barre to get a minor seventh. The same idea works with A-shape barre chords. Our guide to barre chords for beginners covers those shapes.

When to use seventh chords

The twelve-bar blues

Blues uses dominant sevenths for almost every chord. In the key of E, the chords are E7, A7 and B7. In A, they are A7, D7 and E7. Our guide to the 12-bar blues shows the full pattern.

Leading back home

Replace the chord just before the "home" chord with its dominant seventh. In the key of G, change D to D7 before returning to G. In C, change G to G7. The change instantly sounds more finished.

Making pop progressions softer

Swap C for Cmaj7, Am for Am7 and F for Fmaj7 in a C, Am, F, G progression. The result sounds gentler and more sophisticated with almost no extra effort.

Jazz and soul

The ii–V–I progression, such as Dm7, G7, Cmaj7, is the backbone of jazz. It uses all three types of seventh chord in a row, and it's a great way to hear how they work together.

Practice progressions

Play each with four slow strums per chord. Once the changes are smooth, try a lighter, more syncopated strum for the soul and jazz progressions.

Common mistakes with seventh chords

• Muting the open string that makes the seventh. In E7 and A7, the open string carries the seventh note. If a finger leans on it, the chord sounds like plain E or A.
• Mixing up 7 and maj7. They sound very different. G7 is bluesy; Gmaj7 is dreamy. Check the chord symbol carefully.
• Using sevenths everywhere. Seventh chords are seasoning. A few in the right places sound great; too many can make a simple song sound cluttered.

How to practice seventh chords

Learn seventh chords the same way you learned your first chords: one at a time, then in pairs. Pair each new seventh with the chord it naturally leads to, because that's how you'll use it in songs:

• G7 to C and D7 to G for country and folk.
• E7 to A7 and A7 to B7 for the blues.
• Cmaj7 to Fmaj7 for a soft pop sound.

Do one-minute changes on each pair, then play a short progression with a metronome. Within a week, these shapes will feel as familiar as the open chords you already know.

Reading chord symbols

Chord charts write seventh chords in a few different ways. "7" alone means dominant seventh. "maj7," "M7" or a small triangle means major seventh. "m7," "min7" or "-7" means minor seventh. Our guide to guitar chord names decodes all the common symbols.

Next steps

Start with E7 and A7 this week, then add the others one at a time. Within a few weeks, you'll be able to add color to any progression you play. All of these shapes are also in our chord library and the guitar chord chart.

Fretwork's step-by-step path introduces new chords at the right pace for your level and puts them straight into songs. The first two stages are free, no card required.

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