Read left to right, 4th string to 1st: a number is a fret, 0 is an open string.
- Let the G, C, E and A 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4th (G) | open | β | G4 | flat seventh |
| 3rd (C) | open | β | C4 | minor third |
| 2nd (E) | open | β | E4 | fifth |
| 1st (A) | open | β | A4 | 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 Am7
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 β and one of them is usually nearer the chord you are coming from.
- 0030An open-position shape Β· one finger
- 0050A shape at the 5th fret Β· one finger
- 0080A shape at the 8th fret Β· one finger
Holding it cleanly
Nothing is fretted at all: strum the open strings.
The notes in Am7
A minor seventh chord is built from the root (1), β3, 5 and β7 of its rootβs major scale. From A that gives A β C β E β G. 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: A major, Am, A7, Amaj7, Asus2, Asus4, Adim, Aaug.
Frequently asked questions
What notes are in a Am7 chord?
A minor seventh is four notes: A β C β E β G β the root, β3, 5 and β7 of the A major scale. On ukulele the shape 0000 sounds G4, C4, E4 and A4, so some of those notes appear more than once.
What is the easiest way to play Am7 on ukulele?
The usual shape is 0000 β every string open, with no fingers at all β every string rings open. It is already about as easy as this chord gets.
What is the difference between Am7 and Am?
Am7 is Am with one more note, a flattened seventh (G). It can nearly always stand in for Am and sounds a little warmer and less final.