E Minor 7th
Open PositionThe easiest Em7 — middle finger on the A string at fret 2, everything else open. One of the simplest chords on guitar. The open D string is the minor 7th that turns Em into Em7.
E Minor 7th
Open PositionA fuller open Em7 voicing — middle on A fret 2, ring on D fret 2, pinky on B fret 3. Adds a stronger 3rd and a doubled minor 7th for a richer, more articulate sound.
E Minor 7th
7th FretAm7-shape barre at the 7th fret. Barre fret 7 with the index across the A, D, G, B, and high e strings; ring on D fret 9, middle on B fret 8. A full Em7 voicing rooted on the A string.
E Minor 7th
12th FretThe open Em7 shape moved up one octave — barre across all six strings at fret 12 with the index, then ring on A fret 14. Bright, articulate, and great for high-register chord work.
E Minor 7th
7th FretCompact three-note voicing on the top strings — minor 7th on G fret 7, minor 3rd on B fret 8, 5th on high e fret 7. Only three fingers, no barre. Great for fast comping and quiet rhythm work.
Tips for Playing the Em7 Chord
Start with the two-finger shape
The 0-2-0-0-0-0 voicing is the easiest Em7 — and one of the easiest chords on guitar. Every string except the A is played open. Perfect for beginners on day one.
Em7 is the open Em with a lift
If you already know open Em, just lift your ring finger off the D string — that open D is the minor 7th that turns Em into Em7. Same shape, smoother sound.
Use the full voicing for clarity
In a band mix, the 0-2-2-0-3-0 voicing has more body and projects better than the bare two-finger shape. Try it when the chord needs to cut through.
Em7 in the ii–V–I
Em7 → A7 → Dmaj7 is the classic ii–V–I in D major. Cycling this progression through different positions is one of the fastest ways to internalise jazz harmony.
Move the barre shapes
The Am7-shape at fret 7 and the open-shape barre at fret 12 are fully moveable — slide them up or down to play any minor 7th chord on the A or low E string roots.
Use it instead of Em
Em7 sounds great as a substitute for Em in jazz, soul, R&B, and folk. The added open D softens the chord without changing its overall feel — and it is easier to play.
About the Em7 Chord on Guitar
The Em7 chord is built from four notes: E (the root), G (the minor 3rd), B (the perfect 5th), and D (the minor 7th). It is the E minor triad with an added flat 7th, giving the chord a smooth, mellow, slightly melancholy character. Em7 is famously easy on guitar — three of its four chord tones (E, G, and B) are open strings in standard tuning, and the fourth (D) is also an open string. This means the chord can be played with just one or two fingers, making it often the first 7th chord that beginners learn. Em7 appears constantly in jazz, blues, folk, rock, and pop, where it most commonly functions as the ii chord in a ii–V–I progression in D major. This page covers five voicings, from the easy two-finger open shape to advanced barre and high-register voicings. Every diagram is interactive and playable with real acoustic guitar sound.
- 015 Em7 chord shapes from beginner to advanced
- 02Interactive diagrams — click Play to hear each chord
- 03Real acoustic guitar sound via audio engine
- 04Open position, full open voicing, Am7-shape barre, octave-up barre, and compact top-string voicing
- 05Difficulty rating on every shape
- 06Free — no sign-up or download needed
ANATOMY
Chord Tones
The 4 notes that form the E Minor 7th chord and their role in the major scale.
Every minor 7th chord follows this same formula — root, minor third, perfect fifth, minor seventh.