Em7 guitar chord
Em7 (E minor seventh) is built from E, G, B and D, the degrees 1–b3–5–b7. On guitar, the main shape is 0 2 0 0 0 0, the first diagram, marked with the star.
End of the workday, headphones on, the bus moving slowly — and, strangely, everything's fine. That state of mind has a chord symbol: Em7. Press play down there and recognize 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. Play the arpeggio again, no rush 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 guitar
On the guitar, six strings give the chord room to breathe — some positions use them all, others ask you to mute the lowest ones. So start with the first position below, with 5 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. Go note by note, like checking signatures. A muffled chord here is a double waste.
In the app: 36 Em7 shapes on guitar
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 · try it in Chord and Fret
Mid-neck positions are the favorites of anyone backing a singer: they leave the treble free for the voice. File it away for that day.
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 · see it in Chord and Fret
Where Em7 usually goes
Treating Em7 as the home chord (i) of a minor key, it tends to go toward the pre-dominant (Am7) or the dominant (B7, from harmonic minor), and the dominant pulls back home. It's a tendency, not a law.
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 guitar
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.
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 · open in Chord and Fret
Em7 jazz voicings
Jazz Lab: Drop 2 voicings in any key, free; drop 3 and shell are part of Pro · open in Chord and Fret
The thing this chord is preparing has a name: A7. Chain the two and there it is — half a ii–V in your pocket, jazz's favorite sentence.
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 guitar?
Form the shape from string 6 to string 1: 0 2 0 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 tends to go toward the pre-dominant (Am7) or the dominant (B7, from harmonic minor), and the dominant pulls back home. It's a tendency, not a law.
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.