E minor seventh arpeggio on piano
The E minor seventh arpeggio (Em7) has 4 notes: E, G, B, D, degrees 1, ♭3, 5, ♭7 of the chord. It uses only white keys.
- E 1
- G ♭3
- B 5
- D ♭7
The lit keys are the notes of the arpeggio, with the name and the degree; the root (E) has the strongest color. Tap a key to hear it; Listen plays up and down. The small dot marks middle C (C4).
Fingering
This page does not show a fingering. In piano methods the arpeggio fingering changes with the key (black keys move the thumb crossing) and with the hand, and no single rule covers every arpeggio here. Follow the one in your method book or from your teacher.
Formula
- E
- 3
- G
- 4
- B
- 3
- D
- 2
- E
Degrees: 1 · ♭3 · 5 · ♭7 (root, minor third, perfect fifth, minor seventh). Distance between the notes: 3 – 4 – 3 – 2 semitones, counting the step back to the upper root.
About the minor seventh chord
A minor chord with a seventh: less dramatic than a plain minor, and softer. It is the ii of the ii–V–I progression (Dm7 → G7 → Cmaj7), found in jazz, bossa, soul and funk; in pop it often replaces the simple minor chord without anyone noticing.
The chord and the scale
- E minor seventh chord (Em7) The chord on the keyboard, with its inversions
- E Dorian scale The scale to practice with it: it has every note of the arpeggio plus the ones in between.
Other E scales with every note of the arpeggio
More E arpeggios
- Major (E)
- Minor (Em)
- Seventh (E7)
- Major seventh (E7M)
- Minor seventh (Em7)
- Half-diminished (Em7(♭5))
- Diminished seventh (E°7)
- Augmented (E+)
The minor seventh arpeggio in other keys
Frequently asked questions
What are the notes of the E minor seventh arpeggio?
The E minor seventh arpeggio (Em7) has the notes E, G, B, and D: degrees 1, ♭3, 5, ♭7 of the chord.
How do you play the E minor seventh arpeggio on piano?
Start on E and go up through the keys E, G, B, D to the E above; for two octaves, repeat the pattern one octave higher. It uses only white keys.
Which scale goes with the E minor seventh arpeggio?
The E Dorian scale, which has every note of the arpeggio. These also have all of them: E minor scale, E minor pentatonic scale, E blues scale, E Phrygian scale, and E dominant diminished (half-whole) scale.