Em(maj7) E minor-major seventh chord
- Notes
- E G B D#
- Formula
- 1 b3 5 7
- Semitones
- 0 3 7 11 above the root
- Other symbols
- EmM7, Em(Δ7), Emin(maj7)
E to G is a minor third (3 semitones), G to B is a major third (4 semitones), B to D# is a major third (4 semitones). A minor triad with a major seventh, D#, a half step below the root. The minor third G and the major seventh make an augmented triad (G B D#) inside the chord, which gives it its tense, suspenseful sound.
Em(maj7) on the piano
Root position from E4: E4, G4, B4, D#5. Middle C is C4.
Em(maj7) 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 E as its lowest note.
0 x 1 0 0 x (low E to high e)
Sounds E2 D#3 G3 B3
x 7 9 8 8 7 (low E to high e)
Sounds E3 B3 D#4 G4 B4
The E-shape and A-shape grips 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-major seventh chords on other roots.
Inversions of Em(maj7)
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 | E G B D# | Em(maj7) | |
| 1st inversion | G B D# E | Em(maj7)/G | |
| 2nd inversion | B D# E G | Em(maj7)/B | |
| 3rd inversion | D# E G B | Em/D# (also read as Em(maj7)/D#) |
Where Em(maj7) fits
Em(maj7) is i(maj7) in E minor. Most often it is a passing chord in the descending line Em → Em(maj7) → Em7 → Em6, where one voice falls a half step at a time from E. The first four bars of the jazz standard "My Funny Valentine" (Cm, Cm(maj7), Cm7, Cm6 in C minor) are exactly that line.