Root position
E – G – B – DThe root E is the lowest note. This is the shape most people learn first.
4 notes · 1 · ♭3 · 5 · ♭7
E Minor Seventh Piano Chord (Em7)
Em7 is built from E, G, B and D — the formula 1 · ♭3 · 5 · ♭7, or 3, 7 and 10 semitones above E. The shape uses white keys only, and you can hear it, invert it and compare it below.
Chord
E Minor seventh
Notes
E · G · B · DFormula
1 · ♭3 · 5 · ♭7Right hand
1 · 2 · 3 · 5C
D
E
F
G
A
B
C
C#
D#
F#
G#
A#
Choose a chord, then play it. Finger numbers run from thumb (1) to little finger (5).
The finder above already holds Em7. Press P or the Play chord button to hear E, G, B, D sounded together, then change the root or the chord type to compare it with something else.
Chord tones
The notes in Em7
A minor seventh chord adds a minor seventh above a minor triad. It keeps the darker colour of the minor third, but the extra note softens the edge, so the chord feels relaxed rather than sad. Minor sevenths are the natural seventh chords on the second, third and sixth degrees of a major scale.
| Note | Interval | Degree | Semitones | Right hand |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ewhite key | Root | 1 | 0 | 1 · thumb |
| Gwhite key | Minor third | ♭3 | 3 | 2 · index finger |
| Bwhite key | Perfect fifth | 5 | 7 | 3 · middle finger |
| Dwhite key | Minor seventh | ♭7 | 10 | 5 · little finger |
Step by step
How to play Em7 on piano
- Find E: it is the white key immediately right of a group of two black keys.
- Build upwards from E using 3, 7 and 10 semitones to reach G, B and D.
- With the right hand, place finger 1 on E, finger 2 on G, finger 3 on B and finger 5 on D. Keep the wrist level and the knuckles rounded.
- Every note here is a white key, so you can sit your hand slightly further out from the fallboard.
- Play the notes together, then one at a time from the bottom up, and listen to how Em7 settles.
- Try first inversion as well: G – B – D – E. Inversions let you change chords without jumping around the keyboard.
Inversions
Em7 in 4 positions
An inversion keeps the same 4 notes and simply moves the lowest one up an octave. Learning them means you can change chords with small hand movements instead of jumping to a new part of the keyboard.
First inversion
G – B – D – EG is the lowest note, so the minor third sits in the bass and the notes below it move up an octave.
Second inversion
B – D – E – GB is the lowest note, so the perfect fifth sits in the bass and the notes below it move up an octave.
Third inversion
D – E – G – BD is the lowest note, so the minor seventh sits in the bass and the notes below it move up an octave.
In context
Which keys contain Em7
In C major the chord functions as iii7. Altogether it is produced by the scales of 6 keys, so learning it once pays off in several places.
- C majoriii7
- D majorii7
- G majorvi7
- E minori7
- A minorv7
- B minoriv7
Chord tones are spelled by the degree they occupy, so the third of a minor chord is written as a flat rather than a sharp even though it is the same key on the piano. A double sharp such as F## means the key one whole tone above F.
Compare
Em7 against E7
Em7 and E7 share E, B and D. Moving the major third G# down 1 semitone to the minor third G turns E7 into Em7.
Practise the pair together: hold the shared notes E, B, D still and move only the one finger. Hearing that single change is the quickest way to recognise the two chords by ear.
Open E7 →Good questions
Em7 questions
What notes are in the Em7 chord?
Em7 contains E, G, B and D. Counted from the root, that is the formula 1 · ♭3 · 5 · ♭7, or 3, 7 and 10 semitones above E.
What is the right-hand fingering for Em7?
A comfortable beginner fingering is 1 (thumb) on E, 2 (index finger) on G, 3 (middle finger) on B and 5 (little finger) on D. Finger numbers run from the thumb (1) to the little finger (5), and they change once you start using inversions.
How is Em7 different from E7?
Em7 and E7 share E, B and D. Moving the major third G# down 1 semitone to the minor third G turns E7 into Em7.
Which keys use the Em7 chord?
It occurs naturally in C major (iii7), D major (ii7), G major (vi7), E minor (i7), A minor (v7) and B minor (iv7). The roman numeral shows which degree of the key the chord is built on.
What are the inversions of Em7?
root position is E – G – B – D, first inversion is G – B – D – E, second inversion is B – D – E – G and third inversion is D – E – G – B. Every inversion holds the same notes; only the lowest one changes.