G Dominant 7th
Open PositionThe classic open G7 — ring finger on low E fret 3, middle on A fret 2, index on high e fret 1. D, G, and B strings ring open. A full six-string voicing with characteristic dominant 7th warmth.
G Dominant 7th
3rd FretE-shape barre chord at fret 3. Barre all six strings at fret 3; ring on A fret 5, middle on G fret 4. A moveable dominant 7th shape with the root on the low E string.
G Dominant 7th
10th FretA-shape barre chord rooted on G at the 10th fret. Barre fret 10 with the index; ring on D fret 12, pinky on B fret 12. Mute the low E. A fully moveable dominant 7th voicing.
G Dominant 7th
7th PositionCompact shell voicing on the inner four strings — 3rd (B) on D fret 9, ♭7th (F) on G fret 10, root (G) on B fret 8, 3rd (B) on high e fret 7. No barre — captures the tritone tension of G7 cleanly.
G Dominant 7th
5th FretD7-shape moveable voicing — the open D7 chord slid up five frets. D string fret 5 (root), G fret 7 (5th), B fret 6 (♭7th), high e fret 7 (3rd). No barre required.
Tips for Playing the G7 Chord
Build from G major
If you know open G major (3-2-0-0-0-3), G7 simply moves the high e from fret 3 to fret 1. That F is the minor 7th that turns G major into G7.
Watch the open strings
The open G7 uses three open strings (D, G, B). Let them ring fully — they carry the 5th, root, and 3rd and give the chord its resonant quality.
G7 → C is everywhere
The G7 → C progression is one of the most common in all of music — folk, country, pop, blues, and jazz all rely on it. G7 creates unmistakable pull toward C major.
Move the barre shapes
The E-shape barre at fret 3 and the A-shape barre at fret 10 are fully moveable dominant 7th shapes — slide them to any fret to play any dominant 7th chord.
Blues in G
In a 12-bar blues in G, the three chords are G7, C7, and D7. Switching between these three shapes builds core blues vocabulary.
Shell voicing for jazz
The x-x-9-10-8-7 shell voicing is ideal for jazz G7 — clean, compact, and well-placed on the neck. The ascending pattern (index on e, middle on B, ring on D, pinky on G) is easily transposed.
About the G7 Chord on Guitar
The G7 chord is built from four notes: G (the root), B (the major 3rd), D (the perfect 5th), and F (the minor 7th). It is the G major triad with an added flat 7th — and one of the most naturally resonant dominant 7th chords on guitar thanks to its three open strings. The tritone tension between B and F resolves powerfully to C major, making G7 one of the most-used chords in folk, country, blues, rock, and jazz. The open G7 requires just three fingers, making it highly accessible for beginners. In jazz, G7 functions as the V chord in C major and travels through the dominant cycle. This page covers five voicings, from the familiar open G7 to barre and jazz shell shapes. Every diagram is interactive and playable with real acoustic guitar sound.
- 015 G7 chord shapes from beginner to advanced
- 02Interactive diagrams — click Play to hear each chord
- 03Real acoustic guitar sound via audio engine
- 04Open position, E-shape barre, A-shape barre, shell voicing, and D7-shape moveable form
- 05Difficulty rating on every shape
- 06Free — no sign-up or download needed
ANATOMY
Chord Tones
The 4 notes that form the G Dominant 7th chord and their role in the major scale.
Every dominant 7th chord follows this same formula — root, major third, perfect fifth, minor seventh.