What notes are in an Em7 chord?

Em7 contains four notes: E (root), G (minor third), B (perfect fifth), and D (minor seventh).

How do you play Em7 on guitar?

The open Em7 voicing is 022030: low E (open), B (2nd fret 5th string), E (2nd fret 4th string), G (open 3rd string), D (3rd fret 2nd string), and open high E.

Any tune in D major or E minor: "Autumn Leaves" (in E minor) opens on Em7. "Stairway to Heaven" passes through Em-related harmony. Countless folk and jazz tunes use Em7 as a primary supertonic or tonic chord.

How is Em7 different from E7?

Only the third changes. E7 has G♯ (major 3rd); Em7 has G natural (minor 3rd). E7 is a dominant chord; Em7 is a minor 7th — completely different functions.

E minor 7 chord — notes, intervals, and practice

E minor 7 (Em7) — E, G, B, D — is E minor with a minor 7th on top. All four notes are naturals, making Em7 one of the cleanest m7 spellings on the page. The chord is the iim7 of D major (Em7 → A7 → Dmaj7) and the vim7 of G major; on guitar, the open Em7 voicing (022030) is among the easiest jazz chords.

Intervals

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

E→Gminor 3rd3 semitones
G→Bmajor 3rd4 semitones
B→Dminor 3rd3 semitones

On the keyboard

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

On the guitar

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

1E
♭3G
5B
♭7D

Common mistakes

Em7 is all naturals. The most common error is misreading the chord as Em(maj7) (which would have D♯ as the 7th) or as E7 (which would have G♯ as the third). On guitar, the open Em7 voicing (022030) is widely used; the closed-position 7th-fret A-shape barre is the alternative.

In context

Em7 is the iim7 of D major (Em7 → A7 → Dmaj7) and the vim7 of G major. As the im7 of E minor in modal jazz, the chord serves as a stable tonic. Many folk and pop tunes in G major or E minor use Em7 constantly.

Drill it

The E 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 Em7 chord?: Em7 contains four notes: E (root), G (minor third), B (perfect fifth), and D (minor seventh).
How do you play Em7 on guitar?: The open Em7 voicing is 022030: low E (open), B (2nd fret 5th string), E (2nd fret 4th string), G (open 3rd string), D (3rd fret 2nd string), and open high E.
What pieces use Em7?: Any tune in D major or E minor: "Autumn Leaves" (in E minor) opens on Em7. "Stairway to Heaven" passes through Em-related harmony. Countless folk and jazz tunes use Em7 as a primary supertonic or tonic chord.
How is Em7 different from E7?: Only the third changes. E7 has G♯ (major 3rd); Em7 has G natural (minor 3rd). E7 is a dominant chord; Em7 is a minor 7th — completely different functions.