G7 electric guitar chord
G7 (G seventh) is built from G, B, D and F, the degrees 1–3–5–b7. On electric guitar, the main shape is 3 2 0 0 0 1, the first diagram, marked with the star.
A doorbell ringing with nobody answering. A phone buzzing face-down on the table. Some things only exist to be resolved — G7 is their musical version. Give the audio below a listen and feel the unfinished business.
Hear G7 before you play
Why G7 sounds this way
Why does it sound unfinished? Inside G7, two notes are arguing: B and F. Go back to the audio and catch the arpeggio note by note and catch the second and the last note — the distance between them is the tritone, one of the tensest intervals in tonal music. G and D keep the house standing while those two argue inside it. And an argument, you know, demands a resolution.
How to play G7 on electric guitar
On the electric guitar a chord needs only a few clear notes — the amp sustains them and fills the space, so you mute the strings you are not playing and let the tone carry the rest. So grab the first position below — 3 open strings to help you; it's the main shape — that's why it carries the ⭐. Now the experiment that explains this chord better than any explanation: play G7, hold it for one breath, then play C. Felt the door close? Do it again. That relief is the dominant's job.
In the app: 42 G7 shapes on electric guitar
With the fingering and audio of each one, free. In the app, the arpeggio of each shape is part of Pro.
Precision Tuner: Get in tune before you play: chromatic tuner and reference tones, free in standard tuning · see it in Chord and Fret
The other positions earn their keep in blues and jazz, where this chord is practically the official language; learn them one at a time.
Left-handed? Mirror's right here
G7 notes and degrees
G7 stacks the root G, the major third B, the perfect fifth D and the minor seventh F.
Where G7 shows up
Its most common job is the dominant, and dominants live as VII7 in A minor, V7 in C major. Plainly: where it enters, the song is usually about to leave the room. In the blues, though, G7 can also be the home chord. A chart full of 7th chords is a song that won't sit still.
Transpose & Capo: Need it in another key? Transpose the progression for free; finding the best capo is part of Pro · open in Chord and Fret
Identify Chord: Found a shape on your fretboard? Mark it on the screen and the app names the chord, 5 times a day for free · use it in Chord and Fret
Where G7 usually goes
When G7 works as the dominant of C, it tends to resolve to C or CmCmCmCm. In other contexts the sequence changes: in the blues, G7 can be the home chord itself. It's a tendency, not a law.
Going beyond G7
For soloing, G Mixolydian (G A B C D E F · 1 2 3 4 5 6 b7: the major scale with a lowered seventh — the blues accent); G Lydian dominant (G A B C# D E F · 1 2 3 #4 5 6 b7: a mixolydian with a raised fourth: the dominant in formalwear) cover the whole chord. And look at the first swap on the list below: that's the famous tritone substitution, the twin dominant living three whole steps from here, the one arrangers reach for when they want to arrive at the same place by a prettier road.
G Mixolydian
In the app: the 7 positions of G Mixolydian on electric guitar
With degree, note and finger labels on each one, free. Playing the whole scale is part of Pro.
The same G Mixolydian in its main shapes along the neck — pick whichever position sits under your hand. The rings mark the guide notes (the 3rd and 7th) that carry this chord's color.
Scales to improvise over G7
The G Mixolydian scale is a common choice over G7: no chord tone is left out of it. The best fit depends on the key, the surrounding chords and the tensions you want. When G7 moves to C, its third, B, is the leading tone of C: the note that wants to rise a half step.
Swaps that work:
- Db7Db7Db7Db7 — Tritone substitution (shared 3rd–7th tritone)
- Dm7Dm7Dm7Dm7 — Forms a II–V: precede with this ii
- Abdim7 — Passing diminished (ascending)
Reharmonize: Want richer substitutions? Reharmonize's Subtle and Medium levels are free; Bold and Jazz are part of Pro · try it in Chord and Fret
G7 jazz voicings
Jazz Lab: Drop 2 voicings in any key, free; drop 3 and shell are part of Pro · use it in Chord and Fret
You already know how this sentence usually ends. As a dominant, the period after G7 is C — go there and close it with your own fingers.
G7 chord questions
What notes are in the G7 chord?
The G7 chord is made of the notes G, B, D and F.
How do you play G7 on electric guitar?
Form the shape from string 6 to string 1: 3 2 0 0 0 1. “0” means play it open.
What chord comes after G7?
When G7 works as the dominant of C, it tends to resolve to C or Cm. In other contexts the sequence changes: in the blues, G7 can be the home chord itself.
What scale works over G7?
The G Mixolydian scale is a common choice over G7: no chord tone is left out of it. The best fit depends on the key, the surrounding chords and the tensions you want.