E♯m(maj7) Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The E♯m(maj7) chord is a minor major seventh chord built on the root note E♯. Its notes are E♯, G♯, B♯ and D𝄪. It's enharmonically the same chord as Fm(maj7).
Minor major seventh chords are unsettling in a beautiful way. A major seventh over a minor triad creates a sharp, unresolved edge best known from spy themes, Hitchcock scores and the darker corners of jazz.
- Notes
- E♯ · G♯ · B♯ · D𝄪
- Formula
- 1 · ♭3 · 5 · 7
- Semitones
- 0 · 3 · 7 · 11
- Note
- E♯
- Quality
- Minor Major 7
- Symbol
- E♯m(maj7)
E♯m(maj7) 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♯m(maj7) 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♯ is a black key and E♯, B♯ and D𝄪 are white, the keys you'd normally call F, C and E. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
- E♯1
- G♯♭3
- B♯5
- D𝄪7
E♯m(maj7) on guitar
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, E♯m(maj7) 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. String 1 rings open.
E♯ · G♯ · B♯ · D𝄪
Try E♯m(maj7) on the virtual piano
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E♯m(maj7) chord notes
Also known as Fm(maj7)
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | E♯(E#) | |
| ♭3 | Minor third | 3 | G♯(G#) | |
| 5 | Perfect fifth | 7 | B♯(B#) | |
| 7 | Major seventh | 11 | D𝄪(D##) |
How to use the E♯m(maj7) chord
The E♯m(maj7) chord is built from a root, a minor third, a perfect fifth and a major 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 major seventh chords appear in line cliches, where the top voice of a minor chord walks down from the root through the major seventh. James Bond themes, bossa nova and minor-key jazz ballads are where you meet them.
How E♯m(maj7) differs from similar chords
E♯m(maj7) combines the minor third of E♯m with the major seventh of E♯maj7. Its seventh sits a half step higher than in E♯m7, right under the root, and that is where its tense, cinematic edge comes from. It usually passes by in a line cliché between E♯m and E♯m7.
Where E♯m(maj7) is used
No progression is shown for this spelling
Every key E♯m(maj7) 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♯m(maj7) chord?
- The E♯m(maj7) chord contains E♯, G♯, B♯ and D𝄪 (E#, G#, B# and D## in plain text).
- Is the E♯m(maj7) chord major or minor?
- E♯m(maj7) is a minor major seventh chord. Minor major seventh chords are unsettling in a beautiful way. A major seventh over a minor triad creates a sharp, unresolved edge best known from spy themes, Hitchcock scores and the darker corners of jazz.
- How do you play E♯m(maj7) 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♯ is a black key and E♯, B♯ and D𝄪 are white, the keys you'd normally call F, C and E.
- How do you play E♯m(maj7) 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. String 1 rings open.
- What is another name for the E♯m(maj7) chord?
- E♯m(maj7) is enharmonically equivalent to Fm(maj7). Both chord names describe exactly the same notes, but the spelling depends on the key you are playing in.