Em7 chord (E minor 7th) on guitar

How to finger Em7, which notes it contains and which chords it is played with. Tap the diagram to hear it, then play it below in a progression with other chords.

Loading the interactive fretboard…

About the Em7 chord

Em7 is E minor 7th. Notes: E – B – D – G. Formula: 1 – ♭3 – 5 – ♭7.

Difficulty: easy (1 out of 3). Few fingers and a comfortable position: fine from the first weeks. Beginners need it less often, but it adds a distinct colour to accompaniment and makes the sound richer.

How to place your fingers

  • String 6 (E): open
  • String 5 (A): fret 2
  • String 4 (D): open
  • String 3 (G): open
  • String 2 (B): open
  • String 1 (e): open

Where it appears

Em7 is found in these keys: G (vi), D (ii), C (iii).

Progressions with Em7

Every progression starts on Em7 and all its chords come from one key, so the changes sound natural. Play them in the block above; the Roman numerals show each chord's degree.

  • Em7 – CGD (i7 – VI – III – VII)
  • Em7 – Am7Bm – Em7 (i7 – iv7 – v7 – i7)

Try it in practice

Practise chord changes

Other popular chords

Related reading