E minor 7th · Guitar
Em7 Chord on Guitar
The Em7 chord (E minor 7th) is built from the notes E, G, B and D. 2 different guitar fingerings for it are shown below.
Chord diagrams
Fingering
- string 6 (E): played open
- string 5 (A): fret 2 — middle finger
- string 4 (D): played open
- string 3 (G): played open
- string 2 (B): played open
- string 1 (E): played open
Fingering
- string 6 (E): muted
- string 5 (A): fret 7 — index finger
- string 4 (D): fret 9 — ring finger
- string 3 (G): fret 7 — index finger
- string 2 (B): fret 8 — middle finger
- string 1 (E): fret 7 — index finger
Notes in this chord
- E
- G
- B
- D
Degrees: 1 – ♭3 – 5 – ♭7
How to play
Em7 has 1 open position and 1 barre shape. Start with the open voicing if you are new to it; the barre shapes exist to move the same chord further up the neck without changing the key.
Theory behind the chord
Minor seventh chords soften the plain minor triad with a minor seventh. They are the standard ii chord in jazz progressions and sit comfortably under vocals in R&B and funk. On Em7 this structure sits on the root E, so the degrees 1 – ♭3 – 5 – ♭7 map onto E, G, B and D.
Frequently asked questions
- Which notes are in the Em7 chord?
- Em7 contains the notes E, G, B and D. Relative to the root these are the degrees 1 – ♭3 – 5 – ♭7.
- How many ways can you play Em7?
- Minory lists 2 guitar fingerings for Em7, 1 of which is a barre shape. They all produce the same chord — what changes is the voicing and where it sits on the neck.
- Is the Em7 chord hard to play?
- Not really. The open position of Em7 uses open strings and needs no barre, which makes it approachable for beginners.
Practise Em7 on your phone
Minory bundles the full chord library with a tuner, metronome and repertoire notebook — and it all works offline.
