Read left to right, 6th string to 1st: a number is a fret, 0 is an open string.
- Index finger on the 2nd fret of the A string (5th).
- Let the low E, D, G, B and high E strings ring open.
String by string
What each string does in this shape, and which note of the chord it sounds. This is what to listen for when you pluck them one at a time.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note | In the chord |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6th (low E) | open | — | E2 | root |
| 5th (A) | fret 2 | index | B2 | fifth |
| 4th (D) | open | — | D3 | flat seventh |
| 3rd (G) | open | — | G3 | minor third |
| 2nd (B) | open | — | B3 | fifth |
| 1st (high E) | open | — | E4 | root |
One string at a time: a chord strummed into a microphone is several notes at once, and a single string is something the page can hear exactly. A string in tune but on the wrong fret, or deadened by the finger beside it, shows up here and not on a tuner. Tap a string to check it again.
3 other ways to play Em7
The same 4 notes, somewhere else on the neck. A different shape puts a different note on top, so each one colours the chord slightly differently — and one of them is usually nearer the chord you are coming from.
- 050000A shape at the 5th fret · one finger
- 070000A shape at the 7th fret · one finger
- 0-10-0-0-0-0A shape at the 10th fret · one finger
Holding it cleanly
5 strings ring open next to fretted ones. Arch the fingers so they come down on their tips — a finger lying flat will deaden the open string beside it, and the chord loses a note without sounding obviously wrong.
The notes in Em7
A minor seventh chord is built from the root (1), â™3, 5 and â™7 of its root’s major scale. From E that gives E – G – B – D. A minor chord with a flattened seventh: mellow rather than sad, and the usual ii chord of a major key.
The same root, other chords: E major, Em, E7, Emaj7, Esus2, Esus4, Edim, Eaug.
Frequently asked questions
What notes are in a Em7 chord?
E minor seventh is four notes: E – G – B – D — the root, â™3, 5 and â™7 of the E major scale. On guitar the shape 020000 sounds E2, B2, D3, G3, B3 and E4, so some of those notes appear more than once.
What is the easiest way to play Em7 on guitar?
The usual shape is 020000 — an open-position shape, with one finger. It is already about as easy as this chord gets.
What is the difference between Em7 and Em?
Em7 is Em with one more note, a flattened seventh (D). It can nearly always stand in for Em and sounds a little warmer and less final.