A Minor 7 Guitar Chord (Am7)

21

Am7

NameA minor 7
NotesACEG
IntervalsRrootb3minor 3rd55thb7flat 7th

Root

Chord type

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Shape

Tone

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Am7 is Am with one finger lifted: softer and jazzier, and one of the easiest chords there is.

How to play the Am7 chord

  1. Don't play the low E string.
  2. Put your 2nd finger on the 2nd fret of the D string (E).
  3. Put your 1st finger on the 1st fret of the B string (C).
  4. Let the A, G and high E strings ring open (A, G, E).
  5. Strum from the A string down, skipping the string above it.

TipFrom Am, lift your 3rd finger off the G string. Your 2nd finger stays on the D string and your 1st on the B string.

4 ways to play Am7

Every shape below is a real Am7, checked note by note: A, C, E, G and nothing else. Easiest first, with the dark dot on the root.

Am7 chord diagram, open: x 0 2 0 1 0
Open EasyWith sound The one most players learn first. This is the shape you hear on the play button.
Am7 chord diagram, barre, 5th fret: 5 7 5 5 5 5
Barre, 5th fret Medium Root on the low E string. It's the open Em7 shape moved up with your 1st finger as the nut, so you can slide it to any minor 7 chord.
Am7 chord diagram, 7th fret: x x 7 9 8 8
7th fret Medium 4 strings, root on the D string. Higher and lighter, great for a second guitar part.
Am7 chord diagram, barre, 12th fret: x 12 14 12 13 12
Barre, 12th fret Medium Root on the A string. The open Am7 shape moved up with a barre, a movable shape for any minor 7 chord.

Am vs Am7: hear the difference

Am7 is Am plus G (the flat 7th). Play them back to back:

Am7

ACEG

Mellow and smooth

Am

ACE

Darker and sadder

Chord progressions with Am7

Chords make sense once you move between them. Press play to hear each progression with the real recordings, one chord per bar, then play along. Tap any chord to open its page.

As the ii in a ii - V - I

iim7 - V7 - Imaj7 in G
Am7 D7 Gmaj7 Gmaj7
The most important progression in jazz.

Soul vamp

im7 - ivm7 in A minor
Am7 Dm7 Am7 Dm7
Two minor 7ths, all over soul and funk.

Jazz turnaround

Imaj7 - vim7 - iim7 - V7 in C
Cmaj7 Am7 Dm7 G7
Loops back to the start forever.

Practice changing to Am7

Switching chords cleanly is what makes a new chord usable in a song. Start the timer, then go back and forth between Am7 and the chord you picked, strumming each one, and keep a count in your head. Your hands stay on the guitar the whole time. When it beeps, type in your count and try to beat it next time.

Am7 to D7

60seconds

-last try

-your best

Practice Am7 with

Songs that use Am7

  • Ain't No Sunshine by Bill WithersHome chord, Am7-Em-G
  • Moondance by Van MorrisonVerse riff Am7-Bm7
  • Oye Como Va by SantanaWhole song vamps Am7-D7
  • Stairway to Heaven by Led ZeppelinIntro Am-Ammaj9-Am7-D/F#

Learn it with a teacher

Diagrams show you where your fingers go. A teacher shows you how to make it sound good. Start with these video lessons from the Infinite Guitar library:

Shell Voicings - Build Your Chord Vocabulary Free lesson · Tom Quayle Voice Leading: Intro Free with an account · Mike Salow Chord Changes for Beginners - Transitions Free with an account · Chris Feener

Access these lessons with a free account. No payment needed. Sign up free

Chords that go with Am7

D7dominant 7Gmaj7major 7Dm7minor 7Cmaj7major 7G7dominant 7

Other A chords

AmajorAmminorA7dominant 7Amaj7major 7Asus4suspended 4A7sus47 suspended 4A5power chordA6major 6Am6minor 6A9dominant 9AaugaugmentedAdim7diminished 7

Other minor 7 chords

Cm7C Eb G BbC#m7C# E G# BDm7D F A CEbm7Eb Gb Bb DbEm7E G B DFm7F Ab C EbF#m7F# A C# EGm7G Bb D FG#m7G# B D# F#Bbm7Bb Db F AbBm7B D F# A

See all 154 chords in the Guitar Chord Chart

Am7 chord FAQ

What notes are in an Am7 chord?

Am7 has 4 notes: A (the root), C (the minor 3rd), E (the 5th) and G (the flat 7th). Every Am7 shape on the guitar is those notes in a different order.

What is the difference between Am and Am7?

Am7 is Am plus G (the flat 7th). Use the player above to hear both.

Is Am7 hard to play?

No, it's one of the easier ones: 2 fingers and no barre, and the open strings do some of the work. Practice switching to it from a chord you already know.

How do you play Am7 as a barre chord?

Barre the 5th fret with your 1st finger, using the E shape (5-7-5-5-5-5). That shape is movable: slide it up or down and it plays a minor 7 chord on every fret.