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.
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.
Am7 on piano
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 thumb on A, then index, middle and little finger on C, E and G. Press the keys together and listen for an even sound. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
Am7 on guitar
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. Strum only the strings marked as active in the diagram.
Play the chord
Am7 chord notes
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
Famous Songs in Am7
These well-known tracks all feature the Am7 chord - a great way to put it in musical context.
- 1Aint No SunshineBill Withers
- 2Oye Como VaSantana
- 3So WhatMiles Davis
- 4Autumn LeavesStandard
- 5Mercy Mercy MeMarvin Gaye
Common progressions
The Am7 chord works beautifully in these progressions. Click a chord name to jump to its page.
Related chords to Am7
Once Am7 feels comfortable, the chords below open up new progressions. Each one shares notes, keys or a harmonic function with it, which is what makes it the natural place to go next.
Frequently asked questions
What notes are in the Am7 chord?
Is the Am7 chord major or minor?
How do you play Am7 on piano?
How do you play Am7 on guitar?
What chords work well with Am7?
Keep exploring
Deepen your understanding of the Am7 chord with our other music theory tools.