E Dominant 7th Guitar Chord — Open D
Guitar chord voicings in Open D tuning (D-A-D-F#-A-D)
E Dominant 7th Voicings in Open D
E Dominant 7th filtered by fret:
E Dominant 7th in Open D Tuning — Guide
The E Dominant 7th chord is made up of the following notes: E, G#, B, D.
Intervals: 1P, 3M, 5P, 7m.
The E Dominant 7th chord in Open D tuning (D-A-D-F#-A-D) requires different fingerings than standard tuning.
The E dominant seventh chord adds a minor seventh to a major triad, creating a four-note structure with intervals 1P, 3M, 5P, 7m and notes E, G#, B, D. This tension between the major third and the minor seventh gives dominant sevenths their restless, bluesy character — they want to resolve. They are the driving force behind blues progressions, jazz turnarounds, and classical cadences where harmonic motion demands forward momentum.
How to Play E Dominant 7th
On guitar, the most common voicing for E 7 is 0-2-0-1-0-0 — an open voicing that adds the dominant 7th by lifting one finger from the E major shape. This is one of the fundamental shapes every guitarist should memorize early on, as it appears in countless songs and serves as a building block for more complex voicings up the neck.
E Dominant 7th in Progressions
E dominant seventh most commonly functions as the V7 in A major or A minor, creating a strong pull toward resolution. It also serves as the I7 in E blues progressions and as a secondary dominant targeting other chords in a key.
Common Substitutions
E9, E13, or the tritone substitute A#7 all work as alternatives, keeping the dominant function intact.
Difficulty: On guitar, this chord has a comfortable open voicing — suitable for beginners and widely used in popular songs.