Am7 ukulele chord
Am7 (A minor seventh) is built from A, C, E and G, the degrees 1–b3–5–b7. On ukulele, the main shape is 0 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. Am7 is the minor chord with its jacket off: still serious, but done making a point of it.
Hear Am7 before you play
Why Am7 sounds this way
The recipe: take the Am you know — A, C, E — and add G 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 Am7 on ukulele
On the ukulele, the high reentrant G makes every shape light — and with four strings, every note is exposed. So start with the first position below, with 4 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: 9 Am7 shapes on ukulele
With the fingering and audio of each one, free. In the app, the arpeggio and the campanella of each shape are part of Pro.
Precision Tuner: Get in tune before you play: chromatic tuner and reference tones, free in standard tuning · use 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
Am7 notes and degrees
Am7 stacks the root A, the minor third C, the perfect fifth E and the minor seventh G.
Where Am7 shows up
Here's the backstage secret: Am7'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 v7 in D minor, iv7 in E minor, i7 in A 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 · try 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 · open in Chord and Fret
Where Am7 usually goes
Treating Am7 as the home chord (i) of a minor key, it usually moves toward the pre-dominant (Dm7) or the dominant (E7, from harmonic minor), and the dominant pulls back home. It's a tendency, not a law.
Going beyond Am7
For improvising, A Dorian (A B C D E F# G · 1 2 b3 4 5 6 b7: the minor scale with a major sixth — the minor that smirks); A Aeolian (A B C D E F G · 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7: the natural minor, the major scale's relative sibling); A Dorian ♭2 (A Bb C D E F# G · 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.
A Dorian
In the app: the 7 positions of A Dorian on ukulele
With degree, note and finger labels on each one, free. Playing the whole scale is part of Pro.
The same A 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 Am7
To improvise over Am7 as home, the A 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 (E) pulls back, the leading tone Ab 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: D7. Play Am7 → D7 and you've just built half a ii–V — the gear that's been turning jazz for a hundred years.
Am7 chord questions
What notes are in the Am7 chord?
The Am7 chord is made of the notes A, C, E and G.
How do you play Am7 on ukulele?
Form the shape from string 4 to string 1: 0 0 0 0. “0” means play it open.
What chord comes after Am7?
Treating Am7 as the home chord (i) of a minor key, it usually moves toward the pre-dominant (Dm7) or the dominant (E7, from harmonic minor), and the dominant pulls back home. It's a tendency, not a law.
What scale works over Am7?
To improvise over Am7 as home, the A 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.