The E7 mandolin chord contains E, G#, B, D. Its first mandolin voicing is the open position: G string at fret 1 (index finger); D string open; A string at fret 2 (middle finger); E string open. As a dominant 7th chord it has a distinct job in a progression, and this page explains that job alongside the fingerings, the notes and the practice steps that make it stick.
What notes are in the E7 chord?
The E7 chord is a dominant 7th chord, and its notes are fixed: E, G#, B, D. Every voicing on every instrument uses these same notes, in some order and in some octave — change one of them and you are playing a different chord. The table below lists each note with its interval from the root E, so you can see the structure of E7 at a glance. On the mandolin, the open position voicing is the place to hear it in E7.
| Note | Interval |
|---|---|
| E | Root |
| G# | 3 |
| B | 5 |
| D | b7 |
The root is E, the note the chord is named after and the note your ear hears as home. Above it, the intervals in E7 are 3, 5, b7. Once you know the intervals, you can build E7 from any root by counting the same semitone steps, which is how the chord works in every key. On the mandolin, the notes appear in the order the fingering dictates, but the set of notes never changes.
E7 sounds bluesy and restless — the flattened 7th ({flat7}) pulls the chord forward and makes it want to resolve. The colour is strongest when all the notes ring clearly. A muted chord tone, especially the 3rd or the 7th where the chord has one, flattens the character of E7 noticeably. On the mandolin, the open position voicing is the place to hear it in E7.
Comparing E7 with its closest relatives helps to fix it in your ear. In short, dominant 7th against major 7th: E7 uses the flattened 7th D, while the major 7th version uses D#. One semitone separates a bluesy pull from a dreamy shimmer. Hearing the comparison matters more than reading it: play E7, then play the chord it is compared with above, and let your ear find the note that changed. On the mandolin, the open position voicing is the place to hear it in E7.
How to play E7 on mandolin
On the mandolin, E7 has 3 voicings in the data below, and each one uses the same notes — E, G#, B, D — in a different place on the neck. There are 3 voicings listed for E7 on the mandolin; learn the first, then add the others as you need them. Finger numbers below use 1 for the index finger, 2 for the middle finger, 3 for the ring finger and 4 for the little finger, and x means the string is not played.
Another way to play E7 is the open position, in open position: G string at fret 1 (index finger); D string open; A string at fret 2 (middle finger); E string open. This voicing is comfortable because the fretted notes sit close together, from fret 1 to fret 2, so your hand stays relaxed and every note can ring. Strum or pluck it slowly first and check that every note in E7 — E, G#, B, D — sounds, with no buzz and no accidental open string.
The barre chord is the voicing to learn if you want E7 in around fret 9: G string at fret 9 (index finger); D string at fret 9 (index finger); A string at fret 11 (ring finger); E string at fret 10 (middle finger). It barres across strings 1 to 2 at fret 9 with the index finger. The barre is the hard part: the index finger must press every string from 1 to 2 evenly at fret 9, so roll it slightly onto its bony side and keep it close to the fret wire. If the barre buzzes, move it a fraction closer to the fret and press from the arm, not the thumb alone. Strum or pluck it slowly first and check that every note in E7 — E, G#, B, D — sounds, with no buzz and no accidental open string.
For the movable voicing, E7 sits in around fret 2: G string muted; D string at fret 2 (index finger); A string at fret 5 (ring finger); E string at fret 4 (middle finger). The challenge here is the muted string: 1 string is marked x, and it needs to stay silent. Let the edge of a fretting finger rest lightly on it — muting by touch, not by pressing. Strum or pluck it slowly first and check that every note in E7 — E, G#, B, D — sounds, with no buzz and no accidental open string.
Choosing between the voicings of E7 is a musical decision, not a right-or-wrong one. The open or low-position voicing rings the most and suits strumming, while a barre or movable voicing lets you slide E7 up the neck to any key without changing the shape. When you change chords, pick the voicing of E7 that sits closest to the chord before it — shorter moves between shapes mean faster, cleaner changes. Practise the change into E7 from the chord that comes before it in your song, not the chord on its own, because the move is the skill. On the mandolin, start with the first voicing above and listen for the notes E, G#, B, D in E7.
A short practice routine for E7 on the mandolin: play the first voicing four times slowly, checking each note, then change to it from the chord a fourth above E and back, four times, at a slow tempo. Then play the second voicing the same way. If a note buzzes, stop and fix the finger placement rather than playing through the buzz — clean notes at a slow tempo become clean notes at full tempo, while buzzes practised fast become habits. Use the Mandolin Chord Finder to see the diagram for E7 while you practise, and the Chord Finder to compare it with the same chord on other instruments.
Common mistakes
These are the mistakes that most often make E7 sound wrong on the mandolin, and each one has a concrete fix. Work through them one at a time rather than trying to fix everything at once.
Playing a major 7th instead. If the 7th comes out as D# rather than D, you have the major 7th chord. Lower that note by one semitone — one fret, or one key down. On the mandolin, start with the first voicing above and listen for the notes E, G#, B, D in E7.
Forgetting the 7th altogether. Without D this is just a major triad, and the dominant pull disappears. Make sure the note carrying the 7th actually sounds. On the mandolin, the open position of E7 puts those notes under your fingers in the order the fingering lists them.
Resolving it nowhere. E7 wants to move, usually to the tonic a fourth above its root. Practise the V7–I move so the resolution lands cleanly. On the mandolin, start with the first voicing above and listen for the notes E, G#, B, D in E7.
Muddy low voicings. The flattened 7th low down can sound muddy. Try a higher voicing or drop the 5th, which is the least important note in a dominant 7th chord. On the mandolin, start with the first voicing above and listen for the notes E, G#, B, D in E7.
Where E7 is used
E7 is not a diatonic triad in any major or minor key, because it is an extended or altered chord, but its base triad belongs to the key of E major, the key of A major, the key of B major. the V7 chord, the dominant, whose job is to push a progression home to the tonic. As a dominant-type chord it also points toward A major, the key a perfect fourth above E, which is the tonic it most often resolves to. That is where E7 does its work: not as a home chord, but as a chord that creates movement and then resolves. On the mandolin, the open position voicing is the place to hear it in E7.
You will meet E7 in progressions such as 12 bar blues progression in E major, 12 bar blues progression in A major, 12 bar blues progression in B major. Try playing one of those progressions slowly and listening to how E7 behaves in context — whether it sounds like home, like a lift, or like a chord pulling toward the next one. That context is the fastest way to learn what E7 is for, because a chord on its own tells you its notes, but a chord in a progression tells you its job. On the mandolin, the open position of E7 puts those notes under your fingers in the order the fingering lists them.
The same chord on other instruments is covered in E7 on guitar, E7 on piano, E7 on ukulele, and the scales that fit over it are the E major scale and the E minor pentatonic scale. Learning E7 on the mandolin and then checking it on another instrument is one of the best ways to fix the notes — E, G#, B, D — in your memory, because the notes stay the same while everything else changes.
Practising E7
A short worked example makes E7 concrete. Play the four-chord progression A – E – F#m – D in A major, the key E7 most often resolves toward: A – E – F#m – D. Play each chord for one bar at a slow tempo, and listen to how E7 sounds in that sequence — whether it feels like home, like a lift, or like a chord on its way somewhere else. Then play the same four chords in a different order, starting on E7 itself, and notice how its character changes when it opens the progression instead of sitting inside it. On the mandolin, start with the first voicing above and listen for the notes E, G#, B, D in E7.
For a second exercise, play E7 and then the chord a fourth above E, back and forth, four times each. That move — a chord and the chord a fourth above it — is the most common resolution in Western music, and it is the move E7 is built for when it acts as a dominant. Finish by playing E7 on its own, slowly, and naming each note out loud as you play it: E, G#, B, D. Naming the notes while you play them is what turns a shape into knowledge you can use in any key. Test yourself with the Practice Chord Quiz and keep time with the Metronome as the tempo rises. On the mandolin, start with the first voicing above and listen for the notes E, G#, B, D in E7.
Frequently asked questions
Which chord does E7 resolve to?
Most often it resolves to the tonic a perfect fourth above E — the I chord of the key where E7 is the V7. In the blues it can also stay put for a whole bar, which is part of the style. On the mandolin, check the first voicing above for that note.
How do you play E7 on the mandolin?
The first voicing is the open position: frets 1–0–2–0, fingers 1–0–2–0, on the mandolin. That voicing uses the notes E, G#, B, D, and it is the one to learn first. The page above lists more voicings for E7, so you can choose the shape nearest the chords around it.
Is E7 hard to play on the mandolin?
It depends on the voicing. The first voicing of E7 on the mandolin is the easiest starting point, and the movable voicings further up the neck are harder because they need a barre or a wider stretch. Practise the first voicing cleanly at a slow tempo before you try the others, and the harder shapes will come more easily.
What is the easiest voicing of E7 on the mandolin?
The open position is the easiest voicing listed for E7 on the mandolin: frets 1–0–2–0, fingers 1–0–2–0. Learn that shape first, get every note ringing cleanly, and only then move on to the alternative voicings further up the neck.
What is the difference between E7 and Emaj7?
E7 has the flattened 7th D, while Emaj7 has the major 7th D#. That one note changes the function completely: E7 is a dominant chord that wants to resolve, Emaj7 is a settled, jazzy tonic colour. On the mandolin, check the first voicing above for that note.