Julie Swihart

Seventh Chords

Let’s look at how to play an E7 chord on the piano. We’ll also learn the pattern for building any other seventh chord.

What Are Seventh Chords?

Seventh chords are major chords, with an added note. The added note is the seventh note of the matching major scale, lowered 1/2 step.

Major chords are built using the first, third and fifth notes of the matching major scale (learn how to build a major scale here). To convert a major chord into a seventh chord, we’ll add the seventh note of the matching major scale, lowered 1/2 step.

Chord Types Printable

Learn to play 17 types of piano chords using 12 different root notes with this 34-page PDF! Chords are sorted both by their root note (C, D, E, etc.) and type (major, minor, etc.).

Get the Printable

How to Play an E7 Chord

Now we’ll build an E7 chord by first building an E major chord using the first, third and fifth notes of the E major scale: E – G♯ – B.

Then we’ll find the seventh note of the E major scale, D♯, and lower it 1/2 step to D. Then we’ll add that note to the E major chord to turn it into an E7 chord:

E – G♯ – B – D

We can use this pattern to build any other seventh chord. We’ll first build a major chord using the first, third and fifth notes of the matching major scale. Then we’ll find the seventh note of that scale, lower it 1/2 step, and add it to the major chord to create a seventh chord.

Fingering

To play this chord with the right hand, use fingers 1 – 2 – 3 – 5 (thumbs are 1’s), and with the left hand, use fingers 5 – 3 – 2 – 1.

Other Seventh Chords

There are different types of seventh chords, so it can be helpful to compare their differences.

Seventh chords are major chords with an added note. The added note is the seventh note of the matching major scale, lowered 1/2 step.

So an E7 chord is:

E – G♯ – B – D

Minor seventh chords are minor chords with an added note. The added note is the seventh note of the matching major scale, lowered 1/2 step.

So an Em7 chord is:

E – G – B – D

Major seventh chords are major chords with an added note. The added note is the seventh note of the matching major scale.

So an Emaj7 chord is:

E – G♯ – B – D♯

Conclusion

Now you know how to build an E7 chord on the piano, and you can use that knowledge to build any other seventh chord!

Chords are lots of fun at the piano, because they give us lots of room for creativity!