E minor 7th chord
- Emi
- Gsol
- Bti
- Dre
Em7 chord notes
E minor 7th adds a minor seventh to the minor chord, ten semitones above the root. It keeps the minor colour but sounds smoother, and it's the II chord in countless II–V–I progressions. Charts write it as Em7.
| Note | Interval from the root | Semitones |
|---|---|---|
| Emi | Root1 | 0 |
| Gsol | Minor thirdb3 | 3 |
| Bti | Perfect fifth5 | 7 |
| Dre | Minor seventhb7 | 10 |
Em7 chord inversions
An inversion plays the same notes with a different one at the bottom. Using Em7's inversions keeps your hand close to the next chord, so you move less between chords.
Root position
E, G, B, D
- Right hand
- 1-2-3-5
- Left hand
- 5-3-2-1
First inversion
G, B, D, E
- Right hand
- 1-2-4-5
- Left hand
- 5-3-2-1
Second inversion
B, D, E, G
- Right hand
- 1-2-3-5
- Left hand
- 5-3-2-1
Third inversion
D, E, G, B
- Right hand
- 1-2-3-5
- Left hand
- 5-4-2-1
Keys that use Em7
In these major keys Em7 is one of the key's own chords. The numeral beside each key is its place in that key, as chord charts write it.
- C majorIIIm7
- D majorIIm7
- G majorVIm7
Piano practice that remembers
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What notes are in the Em7 chord?
E minor 7th (Em7) is E, G, B, D. In solfège that's mi, sol, ti, re.
Which fingers play Em7?
In root position, the right hand plays 1-2-3-5 and the left hand 5-3-2-1, counting from the lowest note. The thumb is 1 and the little finger is 5.
Which chord usually comes after Em7?
In a II–V–I it moves to the 7th chord a fifth below its root, then to the home chord. That's the most common path for Em7 in pop and jazz.