Em7 E minor seventh chord
- Notes
- E G B D
- Formula
- 1 b3 5 b7
- Semitones
- 0 3 7 10 above the root
- Other symbols
- Emin7, E−7
E to G is a minor third (3 semitones), G to B is a major third (4 semitones), B to D is a minor third (3 semitones). A minor triad plus a minor seventh (D). With G in the bass the same four notes are read as G6.
Em7 on the piano
Root position from E4: E4, G4, B4, D5. Middle C is C4.
Em7 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 2 0 0 0 0 (low E to high e)
Sounds E2 B2 D3 G3 B3 E4
x 7 9 7 8 7 (low E to high e)
Sounds E3 B3 D4 G4 B4
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 Em7
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 | Em7 | |
| 1st inversion | G B D E | G6 (also read as Em7/G) | |
| 2nd inversion | B D E G | Em7/B | |
| 3rd inversion | D E G B | Em7/D |
Where Em7 fits
Em7 is ii7 in D major, iii7 in C major, vi7 in G major. As ii7 it is the first chord of the ii–V–I that ends countless jazz and pop phrases: Em7 → A7 → Dmaj7.