7th guitar chords
A 7th chord (dominant 7th) is a major chord with a flattened seventh added. The extra note pulls toward the next chord, which is why G7 leads so naturally to C.
How 7th chords are built
The formula is 1–3–5–♭7: the root, the major third, the perfect fifth and the minor seventh, counted from the root’s major scale. In C7 that gives C · E · G · B♭.
All 12 7th chords on guitar
Fingerings read from the low E string to the high E string. x = not played, 0 = open. 7 of the twelve main shapes are easy, 5 medium and 0 hard.
| Chord | Notes | Fingering | Position | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C7 | C E G B♭ | x32310 | open position | Easy |
| Db7 | D♭ F A♭ C♭ | x4342x | 2nd fret | Medium |
| D7 | D F♯ A C | xx0212 | open position | Easy |
| Eb7 | E♭ G B♭ D♭ | xx1323 | 1st fret | Medium |
| E7 | E G♯ B D | 020100 | open position | Easy |
| F7 | F A C E♭ | 131211 | barre chord, 1st fret | Medium |
| Gb7 | G♭ B♭ D♭ F♭ | 242322 | barre chord, 2nd fret | Medium |
| G7 | G B D F | 320001 | open position | Easy |
| Ab7 | A♭ C E♭ G♭ | xx1112 | 1st fret | Easy |
| A7 | A C♯ E G | x02020 | open position | Easy |
| Bb7 | B♭ D F A♭ | x13131 | barre chord, 1st fret | Medium |
| B7 | B D♯ F♯ A | x21202 | open position | Easy |
7th chord diagrams
- C7x323104 fingerings · easy
- D7xx02124 fingerings · easy
- Eb7xx13234 fingerings · medium
- E70201004 fingerings · easy
- F71312114 fingerings · medium
- G73200014 fingerings · easy
- Ab7xx11124 fingerings · easy
- A7x020204 fingerings · easy
- Bb7x131314 fingerings · medium
- B7x212024 fingerings · easy
Where 7th chords appear in a key
In a major key, a dominant 7th chord fits on the V degree of the scale. For example, C7 is the V chord in F major.