Em7 Guitar Chord Explained

E m7 position 1 guitar chord diagram

The Em7 chord, a beautiful and versatile addition to any guitarist's repertoire, offers a rich, melancholic sound that is both easy to play and highly effective in a variety of musical styles.

The Em7 chord is made up of the notes E, G, B, and D, while the its formula is: Root (1), Minor Third (b3), Perfect Fifth (5) Minor Seventh (b7).

This chord can be played with different shapes, from the easiest to the hardest, in the following you're going to learn several ways to fret the Em7 chord on guitar.

Notes that compose the E m7 chord:

EGBD

Chord Formula:

1
b2
2
b3
3
4
b5
5
#5
6
b7
7

E Minor Seventh Chord | Construction, Keys and Songs

We can see the E minor seventh chord like an E minor chord (E, G and B) with an additional note, D, that is a minor seventh from the root (10 half-steps).

Creating the Em7 chord is easy, just take the E minor scale:

E F# G A B C D

And select the first, third, fifth and seventh note. You get E, G, B and D.

It is a cool chord that you can play with a couple of really easy shapes, suitable for beginners.

For example, position 4 sounds beautiful and you only have to use one finger, on the 2nd fret of the A string.

Keys With The E Minor Seventh Chords

Here below we show the most common keys that contain the E Minor Seventh chord.

As this chord is composed of 4 notes (E, G, B and D) we use 4 tones harmonization tables.

C Major Key

In the C major key, you find the E m7 at the 3rd degree.

C maj7D m7E m7F maj7G 7A m7B m7/b5
B (7)
G (5)
E (3)
C (1)
C (1)
A (6)
F (4)
D (2)
D (2)
B (7)
G (5)
E (3)
E (3)
C (1)
A (6)
F (4)
F (4)
D (2)
B (7)
G (5)
G (5)
E (3)
C (1)
A (6)
A (6)
F (4)
D (2)
B (7)

G Major Key

E m7 in the relative minor chord (6th) of the G major key.

G maj7A m7B m7C maj7D 7E m7F# m7/b5
F# (7)
D (5)
B (3)
G (1)
G (1)
E (6)
C (4)
A (2)
A (2)
F# (7)
D (5)
B (3)
B (3)
G (1)
E (6)
C (4)
C (4)
A (2)
F# (7)
D (5)
D (5)
B (3)
G (1)
E (6)
E (6)
C (4)
A (2)
F# (7)

D Major Key

The 2nd chord of the D major key is our E m7.

D maj7E m7F# m7G maj7A 7B m7C# m7/b5
C# (7)
A (5)
F# (3)
D (1)
D (1)
B (6)
G (4)
E (2)
E (2)
C# (7)
A (5)
F# (3)
F# (3)
D (1)
B (6)
G (4)
G (4)
E (2)
C# (7)
A (5)
A (5)
F# (3)
D (1)
B (6)
B (6)
G (4)
E (2)
C# (7)

Songs With E minor 7

There are tons of songs with the E minor 7 chord; on the guitar, this chord can be played with many open strings, so it has a really powerful sound.

Here are some popular songs that contain this chord:

  • Grateful Dead: Shakedown Street
  • Nat King Cole: Autumn Leaves
  • Ben E. King: Stand By Me
  • The Beatles: Yesterday
  • Bob Marley: Redemption Song

Em7 - Practice And Playing Tips

Here are a few more suggestions that will help you with this chord.

  • Finger Placement: Ensure your fingers are curled and pressing down just behind the frets to avoid buzzing sounds.
  • Strumming: You can use shapes with all six strings for a full, resonant sound.
  • Hand Position: Keep your wrist relaxed and slightly bent to easily reach the frets.
  • Chord Transitions: Practice switching between Em7 and other chords like G, D, or C to enhance muscle memory.
  • Use in Songs: Incorporate Em7 into songs you know, especially those in genres like folk, rock, or blues, to appreciate its versatile nature.

E Minor Seventh Guitar Chord Shapes

Chord boxes are sorted from the easiest to the hardest. Learn how to read chord diagrams.

If you have difficulties with bar chord shapes, check the Bar Chords Tips tutorial.

Find more shapes on my all guitar chords online library.

Position 1
Movable

E m7 position 9 guitar chord diagram

Position 2
Movable

E m7 position 14 guitar chord diagram

Position 3
Open

E m7 position 19 guitar chord diagram

Position 4
Open

E m7 position 4 guitar chord diagram

Position 5
Open

E m7 position 6 guitar chord diagram

Position 6
Open

E m7 position 18 guitar chord diagram

Position 7
Open

E m7 position 1 guitar chord diagram

Position 8
Open

E m7 position 2 guitar chord diagram

Position 9
Movable

E m7 position 10 guitar chord diagram

Position 10
Movable

E m7 position 21 guitar chord diagram

Position 11
Open

E m7 position 5 guitar chord diagram

Position 12
BarreMovable

E m7 position 7 guitar chord diagram

Position 13
Open

E m7 position 17 guitar chord diagram

Position 14
BarreMovable

E m7 position 8 guitar chord diagram

Position 15
BarreMovable

E m7 position 15 guitar chord diagram

Position 16
BarreMovable

E m7 position 16 guitar chord diagram

Position 17
BarreMovable

E m7 position 20 guitar chord diagram

Position 18
BarreMovable

E m7 position 11 guitar chord diagram

Position 19
BarreMovable

E m7 position 13 guitar chord diagram

Position 20
BarreOpen

E m7 position 3 guitar chord diagram

Position 21
BarreMovable

E m7 position 12 guitar chord diagram

download this tutorial in pdfWant a printable pdf?
Download the Free Guitar Chords Chart Pdf

Play This Chord With Other Roots

C m7 | D m7 | E m7 | F m7 | G m7 | A m7 | B m7 | C#m7 | D#m7 | F#m7 | G#m7 | A#m7

Chord tones in the E m7 chord

You can create any fingering you like on any part of the fretboard, just play some of the chord tones shown in the map below.

0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
1
b3
5
b7
1
b3
5
b7
1
b3
5
b7
1
b3
5
b7
1
b3
5
b7
1
b3
5
b7
1
b3
5
b7
1
b3
5
b7
1
b3