Guitar Chords For Beginners - How To Play The Best Blues Chord Ever On Guitar

An E7, if you're playing in the key of E, but one played up at the seventh fret, as in the picture below.

As you can see, it's just the B7 chord you learned in your first week on the guitar, only shoved up the neck by five frets. Which makes it E7.

The notes are the bass E on the E string, the octave E on the A string, an A flat on the D string, and a D on the G string. Root, 3rd, 7th. With the open B string as the 5th. Making an E7.

You can fancy it up with the minor third G at the 8th fret on the B string. It gives a jazzy dissonance with the A flat on the D string, and sounds, well, bluesy.

Funk it up with a phrase on the top E and G strings. Play the chord, then play a sliding note from fret 7 to 9 on the G string, then back from fret 9 to 7 on the top E string.

Slide it up five more frets to the 12th fret - and you've got your A chord in the blues sequence.

Slide it up another two, to the 14th fret - there's your B chord. I, IV and V. All the chords you need for a 12 bar blues in one shape.

It's a very versatile shape for playing both rhythm and lead guitar. Playing at the 7th fret, you can reach the C-shape G major/E minor notes really easily, for fast runs and fill ins.

Play a C shape chord barred at the 7th fret and you have a G major chord. Which contains the same notes as the E minor scale. Which is essentially E minor pentatonic. Which is what sounds great over a blues progression in E.

Confused? Don't be. It's easier to work out than it sounds. Check out my hubpage on the CAGED system if you're scratching your head right now. It makes finding your way around the fretboard easy.

Of all the great guitar chords for beginners that every player should know, this is the best blues chord ever on guitar. Versatile and funky, with easy access to sweet spots on the neck for playing lead runs. You can play it with a wah wah pedal for added funkiness, and use damping - applying the edge of your right hand to rhythmically mute the strings - to get a percussive rhythm thing going.