E minor seventh (Em7) chord on ukulele
- Notes
- EGBD
- Formula
- 1♭35♭7
How to play Em7 on ukulele
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Shape 1 · 1st position
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Shape 2 · fret 2
no 5th (B)
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Shape 3 · fret 4
no 5th (B)
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Shape 4 · fret 7 · barre
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Shape 5 · fret 9
Some shapes leave out: 5th (B). The caption of each one says what is missing. The 5th is the first to go: it barely changes the sound of the chord.
Numbers are fingers: 1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring, 4 pinky. x = do not play the string, o = open string. The coloured dot is the root (E).
Em7 inversions on ukulele
The same Em7 with another chord note in the bass (the lowest note that sounds). The notes stay the same, but the colour changes, and the bass line can move by step from one chord to the next. In a chord symbol, the bass comes after the slash.
3rd (G) in the bass1st inversion · Em7/G
3rd (G) in the bass1st inversion · Em7/G
5th (B) in the bass2nd inversion · Em7/B
7th (D) in the bass3rd inversion · Em7/D
7th (D) in the bass3rd inversion · Em7/D
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.
Notes and intervals of Em7
Em7 (E minor seventh) is built from 4 notes. Each one fills a degree of the chord:
- E · 1 · root
- G · ♭3 · minor third
- B · 5 · perfect fifth
- D · ♭7 · minor seventh
Other E chords
Minor seventh: other roots
Chords that go with Em7
As the ii of a ii–V–I, Em7 leads up a fourth to the dominant and lands on the major seventh chord:
Frequently asked questions
How do you play the Em7 chord on ukulele?
Em7 (E minor seventh) has 5 fingerings on this page, from easiest to hardest. Each diagram shows the fingers, the open strings (o) and the strings you do not play (x), and you can hear every shape.
What notes are in Em7?
The notes of Em7 are E, G, B, D. The formula is 1 · ♭3 · 5 · ♭7: root, minor third, perfect fifth, minor seventh.
What does Em7 mean?
Em7 is the chord symbol for E minor seventh. 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.
Can I play Em7 on other instruments?
Yes. Em7 also has a page on guitar, on cavaquinho, with the fingerings for each instrument.