What notes are in an Am7 chord?

Am7 contains four notes: A (root), C (minor third), E (perfect fifth), and G (minor seventh).

How do you play Am7 on guitar?

The open Am7 voicing is x02013: mute the low E, then A (open 5th), E (2nd fret 4th string), G (open 3rd string), C (1st fret 2nd string), and an optional open high E.

What jazz standards use Am7?

"Autumn Leaves" (in G major / E minor — Am7 is the iim7), "Take the A Train" (in C major), and many modal tunes. Am7 is one of the most-played 7th chords in jazz.

How is Am7 different from Amaj7?

Two notes change. Amaj7 has C♯ (major 3rd) and G♯ (major 7th); Am7 has C natural (minor 3rd) and G natural (minor 7th). Different chord quality and function.

A minor 7 chord — notes, intervals, and practice

A minor 7 (Am7) — A, C, E, G — is A minor with a minor 7th on top. All four notes are naturals — the cleanest m7 spelling on the page. The chord is the iim7 of G major (Am7 → D7 → Gmaj7), the vim7 of C major, and the im7 of A minor; "Autumn Leaves" in C major / A minor uses Am7 constantly.

Intervals

The A minor 7 chord stacks two thirds on the root. Each interval and its size in semitones:

A→Cminor 3rd3 semitones
C→Emajor 3rd4 semitones
E→Gminor 3rd3 semitones

On the keyboard

Each note of the A minor 7 chord highlighted on a piano. Pitch class is what matters — any octave works.

On the guitar

One voicing of the A minor 7 chord on a six-string guitar fretboard.

1A
♭3C
5E
♭7G

Common mistakes

Am7 is all naturals. The most common error is misreading the chord as Amaj7 (which would have G♯) or as A7 (which would have C♯). On guitar, the open Am7 voicing (x02013) is one of the easiest jazz chords for beginners.

In context

Am7 is the iim7 of G major (Am7 → D7 → Gmaj7), the vim7 of C major, and the im7 of A minor. "Autumn Leaves" alternates between G major and E minor cadences, putting Am7 in the iim7 position constantly. Modal jazz tunes like "Maiden Voyage" use Am7 as a stable tonic in modal contexts.

Drill it

The A minor 7 chord is one of 48 in the Chord Trainer. Open the full trainer to practice it alongside related chords with timing and best-time tracking.

Open the Chord Trainer →Or try today's Etudle puzzle

Frequently asked

What notes are in an Am7 chord?: Am7 contains four notes: A (root), C (minor third), E (perfect fifth), and G (minor seventh).
How do you play Am7 on guitar?: The open Am7 voicing is x02013: mute the low E, then A (open 5th), E (2nd fret 4th string), G (open 3rd string), C (1st fret 2nd string), and an optional open high E.
What jazz standards use Am7?: "Autumn Leaves" (in G major / E minor — Am7 is the iim7), "Take the A Train" (in C major), and many modal tunes. Am7 is one of the most-played 7th chords in jazz.
How is Am7 different from Amaj7?: Two notes change. Amaj7 has C♯ (major 3rd) and G♯ (major 7th); Am7 has C natural (minor 3rd) and G natural (minor 7th). Different chord quality and function.