E7
E Dominant 7th — the engine of harmonic motion — the tritone between its third and seventh drives resolution down a fifth.
The keys
E – G♯ – B – D
What's inside E7
| Note | Interval from root | Degree |
|---|---|---|
| E | Root | 1 |
| G♯ | Major 3rd | 3 |
| B | Perfect 5th | 5 |
| D | Minor 7th | b7 |
Inversions
| Position | Keys (low → high) |
|---|---|
| Root position | E4 – A♭4 – B4 – D5 |
| 1st inversion | A♭4 – B4 – D5 – E5 |
| 2nd inversion | B4 – D5 – E5 – A♭5 |
| 3rd inversion | D5 – E5 – A♭5 – B5 |
A working voicing
Split the chord between two hands the way working players do — a solid shell low down, the colour tones up top:
| Hand | Keys |
|---|---|
| Left (shell) | E2 – D3 |
| Right (colour) | A♭4 – B4 |
Where E7 lives
Resolving down a fifth
E7 → A
The defining dominant move: the tritone inside this chord releases onto the chord a fifth below.
In a ii–V–I
Bm7 → E7 → Amaj7
This chord as the V — the engine of the most-used cadence in music.
Put E7 under your fingers
Hear every voicing, see the keys light up, and drill it in the interactive Chord & Voicing Lab.
Open the Chord & Voicing Lab →