E minor seventh (Em7) chord on guitar

The E minor seventh chord (Em7) is a minor seventh chord (a minor triad plus a minor seventh), made of four notes: E – G – B – D.

Dots show:

Open positioneasy

D shape, fret 2medium

Position 5easy

A shape, fret 7medium

Position 10medium

E shape, fret 12medium

Tap a string on a diagram to hear just that string. The sound is generated in your browser with a physical string model.

Chord finder Transposer Tuner

What the Em7 chord sounds like

A minor seventh chord is softer than a plain minor chord – the minor seventh fills out the sound. In jazz it is the ii of the ii–V–I, in pop and soul a common colour chord.

Notes of the Em7 chord

Degree	Note	Interval from the root
1	E	root
3	G	minor third (3 semitones)
5	B	perfect fifth (7 semitones) – often omitted on fretted instruments
7	D	minor seventh (10 semitones)

How to play it – with fingering

Open position

String 1 (e): open (E4)
String 2 (B): open (B3)
String 3 (G): open (G3)
String 4 (D): open (D3)
String 5 (A): fret 2, middle finger (B2)
String 6 (E): open (E2)

D shape, fret 2

String 1 (e): fret 3, ring finger (G4)
String 2 (B): fret 3, middle finger (D4)
String 3 (G): fret 4, little finger (B3)
String 4 (D): fret 2, index finger (E3)
String 5 (A): not played
String 6 (E): not played

Position 5

String 1 (e): open (E4)
String 2 (B): open (B3)
String 3 (G): open (G3)
String 4 (D): open (D3)
String 5 (A): fret 5, index finger (D3)
String 6 (E): open (E2)

The “C, A, G, E and D shapes” are the CAGED system: you slide the shape of the open C, A, G, E or D chord up the neck and your index finger (a barre) takes over the job of the nut. That way the same chord can be played in five places, anywhere on the fretboard.

Tuning: E A D G B E (low to high). String 6 is the thickest, the low E. In the diagram, × means the string is not played, and a circle means an open string.

Playing Em7 with a capo

A capo clamps all the strings at one fret, so a familiar open shape sounds higher. You can also get a Em7 chord with these open shapes:

Capo: fret 2
shape: Dm7

Capo: fret 7
shape: Am7

Rework a whole song for a capo: chord transposer →

Which keys is it in?

The Em7 chord is built from the notes of these keys (for minor keys, both the natural and the harmonic minor are considered):

E minor: i7 (tonic)
A minor: v7 (dominant)
B minor: iv7 (subdominant)
C major: iii7
G major: vi7
D major: ii7

Similar chords and substitutes

If Em7 is too hard, or you want a different colour in the same spot, these chords are worth a try.

Substitutes (by function)

Gmaj7 – relative major seventh: three shared notes
A7 – in a ii–V, this is the dominant that follows

Same notes

G6 – the same notes with a different root

Simpler versions

Em – all 3 of its notes are in this chord
E5 – all 2 of its notes are in this chord

Richer versions

Em9 – the same chord plus 1 colour note

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the Em7 chord?

E, G, B, D. The root is E; the intervals of the other notes from the root: minor third, perfect fifth, minor seventh.

What is the easiest way to play Em7 on guitar?

The easiest shape above is “Open position”, rated easy. We show 6 shapes, from open and easy versions to movable barre shapes higher up the neck. With a capo you can also play it as a Dm7 shape at fret 2 or a Am7 shape at fret 7.

How do I read the chord diagram?

Strings run from the lowest (left) to the highest (right) – tick “Left-handed” to mirror it. Rows are frets; a number at the side shows the starting fret. Dots are fingers (1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring, 4 little), a long bar is a barre, × means don't play that string and ○ means play it open.

Why is a note missing from some Em7 shapes?

On a fretted instrument you can't always play every note of a 4-note chord. The fifth (B) may be dropped – the chord keeps its character without it.

How is the Em7 chord written?

The chord symbol is Em7, and its full name is E minor seventh.