Am7 A minor seventh chord
- Notes
- A C E G
- Formula
- 1 b3 5 b7
- Semitones
- 0 3 7 10 above the root
- Other symbols
- Amin7, A−7
A to C is a minor third (3 semitones), C to E is a major third (4 semitones), E to G is a minor third (3 semitones). A minor triad plus a minor seventh (G). With C in the bass the same four notes are read as C6.
Am7 on the piano
Root position from A4: A4, C5, E5, G5. Middle C is C4.
Am7 on the guitar
Standard tuning (E A D G B E). Strings run low E on the left to high e on the right, frets downwards; × is a muted string, ○ an open string, and each dot shows the note it sounds, with the root in blue-green. Every shape below has A as its lowest note.
x 0 2 0 1 0 (low E to high e)
Sounds A2 E3 G3 C4 E4
5 7 5 5 5 5 (low E to high e)
Sounds A2 E3 G3 C4 E4 A4
The barre shapes are movable: an E-shape chord's root is the note under your first finger on the low E string, an A-shape chord's root is the note on the A string. Slide the same grip up or down to play minor seventh chords on other roots.
Inversions of Am7
An inversion puts a note other than the root in the bass. The name is what semicord's chord finder calls those notes played bottom to top; a slash name like C/E means a C chord with E in the bass.
| Position | Notes, bass first | Named | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Root position | A C E G | Am7 | |
| 1st inversion | C E G A | C6 (also read as Am7/C) | |
| 2nd inversion | E G A C | Am7/E | |
| 3rd inversion | G A C E | Am7/G |
Where Am7 fits
Am7 is ii7 in G major, iii7 in F major, vi7 in C major. As ii7 it is the first chord of the ii–V–I that ends countless jazz and pop phrases: Am7 → D7 → Gmaj7.