E♯m7 Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The E♯m7 chord is a minor seventh chord built on the root note E♯. Its notes are E♯, G♯, B♯ and D♯. It's enharmonically the same chord as Fm7.
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
- E♯m7
E♯m7 on piano
4 notes
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
To play E♯m7 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 G♯ and D♯ are black keys and E♯ and B♯ are white, the keys you'd normally call F and C. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
- E♯1
- G♯♭3
- B♯5
- D♯♭7
E♯m7 on guitar
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, E♯m7 is commonly played with the voicing shown above. This one is a barre at fret 1: keep the index finger flat across the strings and curve the others so they don't mute the strings next to them.
E♯ · G♯ · B♯ · D♯
Try E♯m7 on the virtual piano
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E♯m7 chord notes
Also known as Fm7
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | E♯(E#) | |
| ♭3 | Minor third | 3 | G♯(G#) | |
| 5 | Perfect fifth | 7 | B♯(B#) | |
| ♭7 | Minor seventh | 10 | D♯(D#) |
How to use the E♯m7 chord
The E♯m7 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 E♯m7 is the iii7 in C♯ major; in minor keys it's the v7 in A♯ minor.
How E♯m7 differs from similar chords
E♯m7 puts a minor seventh on a minor triad, which separates it from E♯m(maj7), whose seventh is a half step higher and much sharper. Compared with E♯m7♭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.
Where E♯m7 is used
No progression is shown for this spelling
Every key E♯m7 would have a function in has a tonic that needs a double accidental, which is not a key this library teaches. The enharmonic spelling carries the same chord in a key that exists.
Questions people ask
- What notes are in the E♯m7 chord?
- The E♯m7 chord contains E♯, G♯, B♯ and D♯ (E#, G#, B# and D# in plain text).
- Is the E♯m7 chord major or minor?
- E♯m7 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 E♯m7 chord in?
- In major keys E♯m7 is the iii7 in C♯ major; in minor keys it's the v7 in A♯ minor.
- How do you play E♯m7 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 G♯ and D♯ are black keys and E♯ and B♯ are white, the keys you'd normally call F and C.
- How do you play E♯m7 on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. This one is a barre at fret 1: keep the index finger flat across the strings and curve the others so they don't mute the strings next to them.
- What is another name for the E♯m7 chord?
- E♯m7 is enharmonically equivalent to Fm7. Both chord names describe exactly the same notes, but the spelling depends on the key you are playing in.