As the ii in a ii-V-IG major
- ii7Am7
- V7D7
- Imaj7Gmaj7
The standard cadence: Am7 carries the subdominant function before the dominant arrives.
Am7 Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The Am7 chord is a minor seventh chord built on the root note A. Its notes are A, C, E and G.
Transpose
Quality
Short answer
Minor seventh chords are smooth and neutral, softer than a plain minor triad. They're a staple of jazz, funk and neo-soul, where they add motion without heavy tension.
- Notes
- A · C · E · G
- Formula
- 1 · ♭3 · 5 · ♭7
- Semitones
- 0 · 3 · 7 · 10
- Note
- A
- Quality
- Minor 7
- Symbol
- Am7
Am7 on piano
4 notesView:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
To play Am7 on piano, place your right hand with your thumb on A, index finger on C, middle finger on E and little finger on G. Press the keys together and listen for an even sound. On the keyboard every note of Am7 is a white key. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
- A1
- C♭3
- E5
- G♭7
Am7 on guitar
View:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, Am7 is commonly played with the voicing shown above. The fretted notes sit between frets 1 and 2. Strings 5, 3 and 1 ring open. Don't play string 6.
A · C · E · G
Play Am7 on the online piano
Free, in your browser: play with the mouse, your computer keyboard or a USB MIDI keyboard. No sign-up.
Am7 chord notes
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | A | |
| ♭3 | Minor third | 3 | C | |
| 5 | Perfect fifth | 7 | E | |
| ♭7 | Minor seventh | 10 | G |
How to use the Am7 chord
The Am7 chord is built from a root, a minor third, a perfect fifth and a minor seventh. Start at the root A and stack the intervals to get the whole chord: A, C, E and G. The same formula gives you the chord in any other key.
Minor seventh chords are foundational in jazz, funk, neo-soul and R&B. They're typically the iim7, iiim7 or vim7 chord of a major key and the i7 of a minor key.
In major keys Am7 is the vi7 in C major, the iii7 in F major and the ii7 in G major; in minor keys it's the i7 in A minor, the v7 in D minor and the iv7 in E minor.
How Am7 differs from similar chords
Am7 puts a minor seventh on a minor triad, which separates it from Am(maj7), whose seventh is a half step higher and much sharper. Compared with Am7♭5, it keeps a perfect fifth, so it sounds relaxed rather than tense. Its upper three notes form the major triad a minor third above the root, which is why it blends so easily with major chords.
Songs that use the Am7 chord
These well-known tracks all play the Am7 chord somewhere - they are not necessarily in that key.
- 1Aint No SunshineBill Withers
- 2Oye Como VaSantana
- 3So WhatMiles Davis
- 4Autumn LeavesStandard
- 5Mercy Mercy MeMarvin Gaye
Where Am7 is used
A minor chord works as the tonic of its own key, and as the vi or the ii of a major one. Each progression below is written in the key its numerals name.
As the vi in a major keyC major
- Imaj7Cmaj7
- vi7Am7
- ii7Dm7
- V7G7
A turnaround. Am7 is the relative minor of C, which softens the way back to the tonic.
As a modal tonicA minor
A modal vamp - Am7 is home, and the loop never resolves away from it.
Questions people ask
- What notes are in the Am7 chord?
- The Am7 chord contains A, C, E and G.
- Is the Am7 chord major or minor?
- Am7 is a minor seventh chord. Minor seventh chords are smooth and neutral, softer than a plain minor triad. They're a staple of jazz, funk and neo-soul, where they add motion without heavy tension.
- What key is the Am7 chord in?
- In major keys Am7 is the vi7 in C major, the iii7 in F major and the ii7 in G major; in minor keys it's the i7 in A minor, the v7 in D minor and the iv7 in E minor.
- How do you play Am7 on piano?
- Place your fingers on A, C, E and G and play them together. The root usually goes to the little finger of the left hand, the upper notes to the right. On the keyboard every note of Am7 is a white key.
- How do you play Am7 on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. The fretted notes sit between frets 1 and 2. Strings 5, 3 and 1 ring open. Don't play string 6.
- What chords work well with Am7?
- Am7 pairs naturally with the chords in the related section: a perfect fifth up or down, the relative major or minor, and anything sharing two notes with it.