Em7 cavaquinho chord
Em7 (E minor seventh) is built from E, G, B and D, the degrees 1–b3–5–b7. On cavaquinho, the main shape is 2 0 0 0, the first diagram, marked with the star.
Put on a lo-fi playlist. Half a song. There — you just heard a chord like this one. Em7 is the minor chord with its jacket off: still serious, but done making a point of it.
Hear Em7 before you play
Why Em7 sounds this way
The recipe: take the EmEmEmEm you know — E, G, B — and add D on top. Now listen to the arpeggio, one note at a time and wait for the fourth note. It doesn't make the chord happy; it takes the weight off its shoulders. That's why bossa nova, neo-soul and the whole of R&B live here.
How to play Em7 on cavaquinho
On the cavaquinho, four steel strings tuned D–G–B–D pack the chord into a small, bright space — every finger counts. So start with the first position below, with 3 open strings on your side — it's the main shape — that's why it carries the ⭐. Four notes sharing the same space, so there's one rule: every single one has to ring. Play it slowly, listen for each voice. A muffled chord here is a double waste.
In the app: 14 Em7 shapes on cavaquinho
With the fingering and audio of each one, free. In the app, the arpeggio of each shape is part of Pro.
Precision Tuner: Get in tune before you play: chromatic tuner and reference tones, free in standard tuning · open in Chord and Fret
And keep the mid-neck positions in your pocket: in modern comping they're worth more than the open one, because they leave room for a voice on top. You'll get it the first time you play behind a singer.
Left-handed? Mirror's right here
Em7 notes and degrees
Em7 stacks the root E, the minor third G, the perfect fifth B and the minor seventh D.
Where Em7 shows up
Here's the backstage secret: Em7's classic job is being the ii — the first piece of the ii–V–I, the most-used sentence in jazz and everything jazz ever touched. Across keys you'll find it as i7 in E minor, v7 in A minor, iv7 in B minor. In other words: this chord is almost never standing still; it's setting something up.
Transpose & Capo: Need it in another key? Transpose the progression for free; finding the best capo is part of Pro · use it in Chord and Fret
Identify Chord: Found a shape on your fretboard? Mark it on the screen and the app names the chord, 5 times a day for free · try it in Chord and Fret
Where Em7 usually goes
Treating Em7 as the home chord (i) of a minor key, it usually moves toward the pre-dominant (Am7) or the dominant (B7, from harmonic minor), and the dominant pulls back home. Typically, not a rule.
Going beyond Em7
For improvising, E Dorian (E F# G A B C# D · 1 2 b3 4 5 6 b7: the minor scale with a major sixth — the minor that smirks); E Aeolian (E F# G A B C D · 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7: the natural minor, the major scale's relative sibling); E Dorian ♭2 (E F G A B C# D · 1 b2 b3 4 5 6 b7: a dorian with a lowered second) contain the whole chord. And the jazz shapes at the bottom are these same four notes rearranged across the neck: same chord, arranger's polish.
E Dorian
In the app: the 7 positions of E Dorian on cavaquinho
With degree, note and finger labels on each one, free. Playing the whole scale is part of Pro.
The same E Dorian in its main shapes along the neck — pick whichever position sits under your hand. The rings mark the guide notes (the 3rd and 7th) that carry this chord's color.
Scale: The scale's positions across the neck, with degree, note and finger labels, free; playing the scale and the tempo-ramp exercise are part of Pro · try it in Chord and Fret
Scales to improvise over Em7
To improvise over Em7 as home, the E Aeolian scale covers it whole: it contains every note of the chord. The best fit depends on the key, the surrounding chords and the tensions you want. And when the dominant (B) pulls back, the leading tone Eb is the note that wants to resolve home.
Swaps that work:
Reharmonize: Want richer substitutions? Reharmonize's Subtle and Medium levels are free; Bold and Jazz are part of Pro · see it in Chord and Fret
Remember I said it's setting something up? This is it: A7. Play Em7 → A7 and you've just built half a ii–V — the gear that's been turning jazz for a hundred years.
Em7 chord questions
What notes are in the Em7 chord?
The Em7 chord is made of the notes E, G, B and D.
How do you play Em7 on cavaquinho?
Form the shape from string 4 to string 1: 2 0 0 0. “0” means play it open. The shape starts at fret 2.
What chord comes after Em7?
Treating Em7 as the home chord (i) of a minor key, it usually moves toward the pre-dominant (Am7) or the dominant (B7, from harmonic minor), and the dominant pulls back home. Typically, not a rule.
What scale works over Em7?
To improvise over Em7 as home, the E Aeolian scale covers it whole: it contains every note of the chord. The best fit depends on the key, the surrounding chords and the tensions you want.