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E major 7th chord on guitar (Emaj7)
Also called or 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.
How it is built
Formula 1, 3, 5, 7
- Root positionE–G♯–B–D♯Emaj70-2-1-1-0-0
- First inversionG♯–B–D♯–EEmaj7/G♯4-2-2-4-4-×
- Second inversionB–D♯–E–G♯Emaj7/B×-2-1-1-0-0
- Third inversionD♯–E–G♯–BEmaj7/D♯×-×-1-1-0-0
How do you play an E major 7th chord on guitar?
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.
Full note and interval 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) |
AdvancedThe open voicing requires fretting three notes while keeping three open strings ringing cleanly.
2nd fret
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.
Full note and interval 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
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.
Full note and interval 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
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.
Full note and interval 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
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.
Full note and interval 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 | — | — |
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.
Other E chords
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.