Guitar chord · Open shape · Standard tuning
G dominant 7 guitar chord (G7)
3 fingers, 6 strings, chart notation 320001. Tap the chord chart to hear it strummed, then arpeggio it to check every note is ringing cleanly.
All the strings in one sweep, low to high — how the chord sounds in a song.
- Strings, low to high
- G · B · D · G · B · F
- Chord tones
- G R · B 3 · D 5 · F b7
How to play G7
Finger numbers run 1 for the index to 4 for the little finger. String names are given as players say them — the low E is the thickest string (the 6th) and the high E is the thinnest (the 1st).
- 1st finger (index) — 1st fret, high E string
- 2nd finger (middle) — 2nd fret, A string
- 3rd finger (ring) — 3rd fret, low E string
- Play open: D (4th), G (3rd) and B (2nd) — strum them without fretting anything.
- Strum all six strings. Nothing is muted in this shape, so the chord should ring from the low E right through to the high E.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note it sounds |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6th — low E | 3rd fret | 3 (ring) | G |
| 5th — A | 2nd fret | 2 (middle) | B |
| 4th — D | Open | — | D |
| 3rd — G | Open | — | G |
| 2nd — B | Open | — | B |
| 1st — high E | 1st fret | 1 (index) | F |
Notes and intervals in G7
G7 is built from 4 notes: G, B, D and F.
- G — the root (R)
- B — the major 3rd (3)
- D — the perfect 5th (5)
- F — the flat 7th (b7)
Across the six strings the shape sounds G · B · D · G · B · F from low to high, so some notes are doubled in different octaves — that is what gives an open guitar chord its width compared with the same chord on a keyboard.
What G7 is used for
G7 is the V7 that pulls back to C, and the most used dominant 7th in beginner repertoire. It is the G shape with the top note dropped from the 3rd fret to the 1st, putting an F on the high E string — and that F is a semitone above the E in the C chord, which is exactly why the resolution feels so strong.
Common mistakes with G7
- Playing the top note at the 3rd fret, which is just G. In G7 the high E string moves down to the 1st fret.
- The ring and middle fingers flattening onto the open D, G and B strings — all three have to ring through.
- Sitting on it. G7 is a travelling chord: hold it a beat or two and move to C.
Guitar chord data last updated . Every diagram here, in the printable PDF and in the chart image comes from one dataset, so the paper and the screen cannot disagree.