How to Play Seventh Chords for Rock Guitar

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By eHow Contributing Writer

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Beginning guitarists can expand the range of chords they play in an instant, by learning seventh chords, which is accomplished by adding an additional note on top of the 3 notes that make up the chord. Rock guitarists build them around the E major barre chord.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Step 1

Play an E chord with your middle, ring and pinky fingers. Place your middle finger in the first fret of the G string (the third string from the bottom). Place your ring and pinky fingers on the second fret of the second and third string from the top (A and D). The top string and bottom 2 strings should be open (E-B-E).
Step 2

Lift your pinky finger from the string. This will play an E7 chord.
Step 3

Move your fingers up 1 fret (toward the body). Lay your index finger flat against all of the strings in the first fret. This will create an F7 barre chord. To play an F just replace the pinky in the E configuration.
Step 4

Move your hand up and down the neck one fret at a time. You will progress up and down the scale. Lift your pinky to create the seventh chord, hold it in place to play the major chord.

Tips & Warnings

Seventh chords are created by adding the seventh note from the root note on top of the 1-3-5 structure of the chord. This would be 5 whole steps and 2 half steps from the root note.
You can also create seventh chords with an A barre chord. Use your middle, ring and pinky to play the A chord configuration, and your index chord to press down the strings in the preceding fret. Create the seventh by lifting your ring finger.