Tools / Chords / E major 7th

E major 7th chord on guitar (Emaj7)

Also written Emaj7 or EM7

E major 7th contains E, G♯, B, and D♯. The open voicing uses all six strings, giving a full, ringing sound.

Open0-2-1-1-0-0

Positions on the neck1 of 5

How it’s built

E1Root

G♯3Major 3rd

B5Perfect 5th

D♯7Major 7th

Formula 1, 3, 5, 7

Positions on the neck1 of 5

Inversions

The same three notes, with a different one in the bass.

Root positionE–G♯–B–D♯Emaj7Bass E

First inversionG♯–B–D♯–EEmaj7/G♯Bass G♯

Second inversionB–D♯–E–G♯Emaj7/BBass B

Third inversionD♯–E–G♯–BEmaj7/D♯Bass D♯

Why it sounds like that

E major 7th is built from the formula 1, 3, 5, 7. The major 7th interval from E to D♯ gives the chord its dreamy quality. Compare it with E major, which stops at the 5th.

What goes wrong with E major 7th?

Flattening the index finger onto the G string deadens the G♯.
Letting the ring finger touch the D string mutes the D♯.
Arching the middle finger too low mutes the B string.

When to use it

E major 7th is the tonic in E major, so it works in the I–IV–V–I progression E–A–B–E. It also suits the I–V–vi–IV of E–B–C♯ minor–A. Use it for jazz, neo-soul, or any style needing a warm, unresolved major sound.

Changing to and from E major 7th

Move to A major by lifting the index and middle fingers and placing the index on the 2nd fret of the D string.
Sliding the 2nd fret shape down one fret to the 1st fret gives E♭ major 7th.

Which voicing to use

The open voicing keeps E as the bass note and is easiest for quick changes. The 7th fret shape uses a barre for a fuller sound, while the 12th fret shape drops the low strings for a lighter texture.

How do you play an E major 7th chord on guitar?

Open

Beginner● On the diagram

E major 7th is played in open position as 0 2 1 1 0 0: ring finger on the A string at fret 2, index finger on the D string at fret 1 and middle finger on the G string at fret 1. The low E, B and high e strings ring open.

Tip — The open voicing requires fretting three notes while keeping three open strings ringing cleanly.

String-by-string breakdown

String	Fret	Finger	Note
6 (E)	open	—	E (1)
5 (A)	2	3	B (5)
4 (D)	1	1	D♯ (7)
3 (G)	1	2	G♯ (3)
2 (B)	open	—	B (5)
1 (e)	open	—	E (1)

2nd fret

Intermediate

E major 7th is played at the 2nd fret as × × 2 4 4 4: index finger on the D string at fret 2, middle finger on the G string at fret 4, ring finger on the B string at fret 4 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 4. The low E and A strings stay muted.

String-by-string breakdown

String	Fret	Finger	Note
6 (E)	muted	—	—
5 (A)	muted	—	—
4 (D)	2	1	E (1)
3 (G)	4	2	B (5)
2 (B)	4	3	D♯ (7)
1 (e)	4	4	G♯ (3)

7th fret

Barre

E major 7th is played at the 7th fret as × 7 9 8 9 7: barre your index finger across fret 7, ring finger on the D string at fret 9, middle finger on the G string at fret 8 and pinky finger on the B string at fret 9. The low E string stays muted.

String-by-string breakdown

String	Fret	Finger	Note
6 (E)	muted	—	—
5 (A)	7	1 (barre)	E (1)
4 (D)	9	3	B (5)
3 (G)	8	2	D♯ (7)
2 (B)	9	4	G♯ (3)
1 (e)	7	1 (barre)	B (5)

12th fret

Barre

E major 7th is played at the 12th fret as 12 14 13 13 12 12: barre your index finger across fret 12, pinky finger on the A string at fret 14, middle finger on the D string at fret 13 and ring finger on the G string at fret 13.

String-by-string breakdown

String	Fret	Finger	Note
6 (E)	12	1 (barre)	E (1)
5 (A)	14	4	B (5)
4 (D)	13	2	D♯ (7)
3 (G)	13	3	G♯ (3)
2 (B)	12	1 (barre)	B (5)
1 (e)	12	1 (barre)	E (1)

Emaj7/G♯ inversion

Barre

E major 7th is played at the 2nd fret as 4 2 2 4 4 ×: barre your index finger across fret 2, middle finger on the low E string at fret 4, ring finger on the G string at fret 4 and pinky finger on the B string at fret 4. The high e string stays muted.

String-by-string breakdown

String	Fret	Finger	Note
6 (E)	4	2	G♯ (3)
5 (A)	2	1 (barre)	B (5)
4 (D)	2	1 (barre)	E (1)
3 (G)	4	3	B (5)
2 (B)	4	4	D♯ (7)
1 (e)	muted	—	—

Common questions

How is E major 7th written?

E major 7th is written as EM7 or Emaj7.

What is the difference between E major 7th and E major?

E major 7th adds the D♯, a major 7th above E. E major contains only E, G♯, and B.

Why does the open voicing use all six strings?

All six strings are chord tones, so no muting is needed.

String

Fret

Finger

Note

6 (E)

open

—

E (1)

5 (A)

B (5)

4 (D)

D♯ (7)

3 (G)

G♯ (3)

2 (B)

open

—

B (5)

1 (e)

open

—

E (1)

String

Fret

Finger

Note

6 (E)

muted

—

5 (A)

muted

—

4 (D)

E (1)

3 (G)

B (5)

2 (B)

D♯ (7)

1 (e)

G♯ (3)

String

Fret

Finger

Note

6 (E)

muted

—

5 (A)

1 (barre)

E (1)

4 (D)

B (5)

3 (G)

D♯ (7)

2 (B)

G♯ (3)

1 (e)

1 (barre)

B (5)

String

Fret

Finger

Note

6 (E)

1 (barre)

E (1)

5 (A)

B (5)

4 (D)

D♯ (7)

3 (G)

G♯ (3)

2 (B)

1 (barre)

B (5)

1 (e)

1 (barre)

E (1)

String

Fret

Finger

Note

6 (E)

G♯ (3)

5 (A)

1 (barre)

B (5)

4 (D)

1 (barre)

E (1)

3 (G)

B (5)

2 (B)

D♯ (7)

1 (e)

muted

—