Em7 guitar chord: 6 ways to play E minor 7th

Ways to play Em7

Open position first, then up the neck. Tap a shape to put it on the fretboard above and hear it. The numbers are fingers (1 is your index), × means leave that string out, and ○ means let it ring open.

What's in Em7

A minor 7th is a minor triad with a flat 7th on top: Em7 is E, G, B, D. On guitar it is often easier than the plain minor chord, because the 7th can come from an open string or frees up a finger.

Note	Formula	Interval from E
E	1	Root
G	♭3	Minor 3rd
B	5	Perfect 5th
D	♭7	Minor 7th

Mellower than a straight minor chord. It is the ii in the ii–V–I that jazz is built on, and the default minor chord in funk and R&B.

Keys that use Em7

Every major and minor key whose scale contains all of E, G, B and D, and the chord's Roman numeral in each.

Key	Em7 is the
E minor	i7
B minor	iv7
A minor	v7
D major	ii7
G major	vi7
C major	iii7

Progressions to try

ii7–V7–Imaj7 in D major

A minor 7th's most common job: the ii chord that sets up the V.

i7–iv7 in E minor

A two-chord minor vamp that funk and soul can sit on for a whole song.

Other chords on E:

See every chord in the library

Em7 chord