E Minor 7 Guitar Chord (Em7)

123

Em7

NameE minor 7
NotesEGBD
IntervalsRrootb3minor 3rd55thb7flat 7th

Root

Chord type

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Shape

Tone

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Em7 is a soft, open-sounding chord that's even fuller than plain Em: all six strings ring, and the extra note is a D on the B string.

How to play the Em7 chord

  1. Put your 1st finger on the 2nd fret of the A string (B).
  2. Put your 2nd finger on the 2nd fret of the D string (E).
  3. Put your 3rd finger on the 3rd fret of the B string (D).
  4. Let the low E, G and high E strings ring open (E, G, E).
  5. Strum from the low E string down.

TipThis fingering puts your 3rd finger on the 3rd fret of the B string, the same spot it sits in G and D, so changes to those chords feel smooth.

5 ways to play Em7

Every shape below is a real Em7, checked note by note: E, G, B, D and nothing else. Easiest first, with the dark dot on the root.

Em7 chord diagram, open: 0 2 2 0 3 0
Open EasyWith sound The one most players learn first. This is the shape you hear on the play button.
Em7 chord diagram, open, another way: 0 2 0 0 0 0
Open, another way Easy An open-position version. Open strings ring, so it sounds full and easy to hold.
Em7 chord diagram, 2nd fret: x x 2 4 3 3
2nd fret Medium 4 strings, root on the D string. Higher and lighter, great for a second guitar part.
Em7 chord diagram, barre, 7th fret: x 7 9 7 8 7
Barre, 7th fret Medium Root on the A string. The open Am7 shape moved up with a barre, a movable shape for any minor 7 chord.
Em7 chord diagram, barre, 12th fret: 12 14 12 12 12 12
Barre, 12th 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.

Em vs Em7: hear the difference

Em7 is Em plus D (the flat 7th). Play them back to back:

Em7

EGBD

Mellow and smooth

Em

EGB

Darker and sadder

Chord progressions with Em7

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 D
Em7 A7 Dmaj7 Dmaj7
The most important progression in jazz.

Soul vamp

im7 - ivm7 in E minor
Em7 Am7 Em7 Am7
Two minor 7ths, all over soul and funk.

Jazz turnaround

Imaj7 - vim7 - iim7 - V7 in G
Gmaj7 Em7 Am7 D7
Loops back to the start forever.

Practice changing to Em7

Switching chords cleanly is what makes a new chord usable in a song. Start the timer, then go back and forth between Em7 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.

Em7 to A7

60seconds

-last try

-your best

Practice Em7 with

Songs that use Em7

  • Wish You Were Here by Pink FloydIntro and solo Em7-G-A7sus4
  • Wonderwall by OasisVerse Em7-G-Dsus4-A7sus4 (Capo 2)
  • Yesterday by The BeatlesVerse F-Em7-A7-Dm
  • Autumn Leaves by Eric ClaptonVerse Em7-A7-Dmaj7-Gmaj7

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 Em7

A7dominant 7Dmaj7major 7Am7minor 7Gmaj7major 7D7dominant 7

Other E chords

EmajorEmminorE7dominant 7Emaj7major 7Esus4suspended 4E7sus47 suspended 4E5power chordE6major 6Em6minor 6E9dominant 9EaugaugmentedEdim7diminished 7

Other minor 7 chords

Cm7C Eb G BbC#m7C# E G# BDm7D F A CEbm7Eb Gb Bb DbFm7F Ab C EbF#m7F# A C# EGm7G Bb D FG#m7G# B D# F#Am7A C E GBbm7Bb Db F AbBm7B D F# A

See all 154 chords in the Guitar Chord Chart

Em7 chord FAQ

What notes are in an Em7 chord?

Em7 has 4 notes: E (the root), G (the minor 3rd), B (the 5th) and D (the flat 7th). Every Em7 shape on the guitar is those notes in a different order.

What is the difference between Em and Em7?

Em7 is Em plus D (the flat 7th). Use the player above to hear both.

Is Em7 hard to play?

No, it's one of the easier ones: 3 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 Em7 as a barre chord?

Barre the 7th fret with your 1st finger, using the A shape (x-7-9-7-8-7). That shape is movable: slide it up or down and it plays a minor 7 chord on every fret.