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Jazz Guitar Barre Chords: Fifth-String Root Sevenths

Construct major, minor and dominant seventh chords from a fifth-string root while deliberately muting the sixth string.

Fifth-string-root seventh-chord barres · By Vincent Iannone · Updated 30 October 2026

How do you play seventh-chord barre chords with a fifth-string root?

Fifth-string-root barre chords put the root on the A string under an index barre across strings 5 to 1, with the low E string muted. They are the partner family to sixth-string shapes, so together they cover any root within a few frets. The Dmaj7 example at fret 5 is x-5-7-6-7-5, sounding D3, A3, C♯4, F♯4 and A4. Lowering the seventh, C♯ to C, gives D7 (x-5-7-5-7-5). Lowering the third of D7, F♯ to F, gives Dm7 (x-5-7-5-6-5). Keeping the root and fifth in place while changing only one guide tone is the quickest way to learn all three qualities, and the shapes move to C, F or any other root on string 5.

The idea

This family places the root on string 5 and uses an index barre across strings 5–1. The sixth string remains muted. A major seventh and a dominant seventh differ by one semitone in the seventh; a minor seventh and a dominant seventh differ in the third. The diagram identifies every sounding fret and the fingers that override the index barre.

Put it under your fingers

1. Read Dmaj7 at fret 5, including the muted low E and the separate fingers on strings 4, 3 and 2.
2. Compare Dmaj7, D7 and Dm7 before transposing. Keep the root and fifth in place while identifying the changed guide tone.
3. Build Cmaj7, lower its seventh to make C7, then transfer the major-seventh form to F.

Make it yours

Play the fifth-string-root forms while avoiding string 6. Compare Cmaj7 with C7, then move the original major-seventh form to F without changing the fingering relationships.