As the ii in a ii-V-ID major
- ii7Em7
- V7A7
- Imaj7Dmaj7
The standard cadence: Em7 carries the subdominant function before the dominant arrives.
Em7 Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The Em7 chord is a minor seventh chord built on the root note E. Its notes are E, G, B and D.
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
- E · G · B · D
- Formula
- 1 · ♭3 · 5 · ♭7
- Semitones
- 0 · 3 · 7 · 10
- Note
- E
- Quality
- Minor 7
- Symbol
- Em7
Em7 on piano
4 notesView:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
To play Em7 on piano, place your right hand with your thumb on E, index finger on G, middle finger on B and little finger on D. Press the keys together and listen for an even sound. On the keyboard every note of Em7 is a white key. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
- E1
- G♭3
- B5
- D♭7
Em7 on guitar
View:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, Em7 is commonly played with the voicing shown above. Strings 6, 4, 3, 2 and 1 ring open.
E · G · B · D
Play Em7 on the online piano
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Em7 chord notes
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | E | |
| ♭3 | Minor third | 3 | G | |
| 5 | Perfect fifth | 7 | B | |
| ♭7 | Minor seventh | 10 | D |
How to use the Em7 chord
The Em7 chord is built from a root, a minor third, a perfect fifth and a minor seventh. Start at the root E and stack the intervals to get the whole chord: E, G, B and D. 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 Em7 is the iii7 in C major, the vi7 in G major and the ii7 in D major; in minor keys it's the v7 in A minor, the i7 in E minor and the iv7 in B minor.
How Em7 differs from similar chords
Em7 puts a minor seventh on a minor triad, which separates it from Em(maj7), whose seventh is a half step higher and much sharper. Compared with Em7♭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 Em7 chord
These well-known tracks all play the Em7 chord somewhere - they are not necessarily in that key.
- 1Nothings Gonna Stop Us NowStarship
- 2Have You Ever Really Loved a WomanBryan Adams
- 3Thats What Friends Are ForDionne Warwick
- 4Lean on MeBill Withers
- 5BreezinGeorge Benson
Where Em7 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 keyG major
- Imaj7Gmaj7
- vi7Em7
- ii7Am7
- V7D7
A turnaround. Em7 is the relative minor of G, which softens the way back to the tonic.
As a modal tonicE minor
A modal vamp - Em7 is home, and the loop never resolves away from it.
Questions people ask
- What notes are in the Em7 chord?
- The Em7 chord contains E, G, B and D.
- Is the Em7 chord major or minor?
- Em7 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 Em7 chord in?
- In major keys Em7 is the iii7 in C major, the vi7 in G major and the ii7 in D major; in minor keys it's the v7 in A minor, the i7 in E minor and the iv7 in B minor.
- How do you play Em7 on piano?
- Place your fingers on E, G, B and D 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 Em7 is a white key.
- How do you play Em7 on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. Strings 6, 4, 3, 2 and 1 ring open.
- What chords work well with Em7?
- Em7 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.