Em7: E Minor 7th Piano Chord

Third inversion: either hand, fingers low note to high
Hand	Notes	Fingers
Right	D, E, G, B	1-2-3-4
Left	D, E, G, B	5-4-3-2

Scale degree, note, and interval measured from the root.
Degree	Note	Interval from root	Semitones
1	E	Perfect unison	0
♭3	G	Minor third	3
5	B	Perfect fifth	7
♭7	D	Minor seventh	10

Construction

E Minor 7th = Root + Minor 3rd + Perfect 5th + Minor 7th = E, G, B, D

Note	Interval	Degree
E	Root	1
G	Minor 3rd	♭3
B	Perfect 5th	5
D	Minor 7th	♭7

Fingering

Note	Key color	Right hand	Left hand
E	white	thumb (1)	little finger (5)
G	white	index finger (2)	middle finger (3)
B	white	middle finger (3)	index finger (2)
D	white	little finger (5)	thumb (1)

Right hand: thumb (1) on E, index finger (2) on G, middle finger (3) on B, little finger (5) on D.

Left hand: little finger (5) on E, middle finger (3) on G, index finger (2) on B, thumb (1) on D.

E Minor 7th Inversions

Root position
E – G – B – D
1st inversion (Em7/G)
G – B – D – E
2nd inversion (Em7/B)
B – D – E – G
3rd inversion (Em7/D)
D – E – G – B

Key Signature

A chord has no key signature of its own, but the E Minor 7th is the tonic (i) chord of E Minor, which shares the signature of its relative major, G Major: 1 sharp (F♯).

F♯

Order of sharps

Sharps are added to a key signature in a fixed order. Each new sharp key adds the next sharp on the list.

F♯C♯G♯D♯A♯E♯B♯

Mnemonic: Father Charles Goes Down And Ends Battle

Chords in the Key of E Minor

These are the triads built on each degree of E Minor:

i — E Minor (minor)

Degree	Numeral	Chord	Quality
1	i	E Minor	Minor
2	ii°	F♯ Diminished	Diminished
3	III	G Major	Major
4	iv	A Minor	Minor
5	v	B Minor	Minor
6	VI	C Major	Major
7	VII	D Major	Major

How E Minor 7th functions in a key

The same chord takes on a different harmonic role depending on the key it appears in. Here is where E Minor 7th sits diatonically across the common keys:

In G major, E Minor 7th is the vi chord — the tonic.
In E minor, E Minor 7th is the i chord — the tonic.
In D major, E Minor 7th is the ii chord — a predominant.
In B minor, E Minor 7th is the iv chord — a predominant.
In C major, E Minor 7th is the iii chord — a mediant / color chord.
In A minor, E Minor 7th is the v chord.

Scales That Include the E Minor 7th

C Major (iii7)
G Major (vi7)
D Major (ii7)
A Minor (v7)
E Minor (i7)
B Minor (iv7)
D Dorian (ii)
E Phrygian (i)

Same Notes, Other Names

The notes E – G – B – D aren’t exclusive to this chord. Depending on which note is the bass and how the chord functions, the same pitches also spell:

G Major 6→

Looking for Em(maj7)? See the E minor major 7th piano chord.

E Minor 7th : Frequently Asked Questions

What is the E Minor 7th chord on piano?

The E Minor 7th chord contains the notes E – G – B – D. On piano, play these notes together to sound the chord.

What notes are in the E Minor 7th chord?

The E Minor 7th chord (Em7) contains four notes: E (root), G (minor third), B (perfect fifth), and D (minor seventh). All white keys, making Em7 one of the easiest minor 7th chords to play on piano.

How does E Minor 7th differ from E Dominant 7th?

Both have E as root. Em7 has G (minor third) and D (minor seventh); E7 has G# (major third) and D (minor seventh). The minor third in Em7 gives it a mellow, introspective character compared to E7's bright, bluesy drive.

How is E Minor 7th used in music?

Em7 is the ii chord in D Major and the iii chord in C Major. It appears constantly in pop, rock, folk, and jazz. Em7 is also the second chord in the modal jazz classic So What by Miles Davis, where it alternates with Dm7.

What genres commonly use Minor 7th chords?

Minor 7th chords are essential in jazz, R&B, neo-soul, soul, funk, lo-fi hip-hop, and bossa nova. Em7 specifically crosses into folk, rock, and pop because E minor is one of the most common keys in guitar-driven music.

What songs use Minor 7th chords?

Em7 appears in So What (Miles Davis), Autumn Leaves, and countless pop songs. It is one of the most frequently played chords in popular music because E minor and G Major are among the most common keys.

What is the ii–V–I progression?

The ii–V–I is the most important jazz progression: Em7 (ii) → A7 (V) → Dmaj7 (I) in D Major. This progression appears in virtually every jazz standard and is essential vocabulary for jazz piano.

E Minor 7th in detail

Exact

Every pitch class is present and nothing outside the chord is added.

Type	Notes	Semitones	Span	Omissions and additions	Set relation
Close, root position	E3 G3 B3 D4	10	138 mm	none	identical
Close, first inversion	G3 B3 D4 E4	9	124 mm	none	identical
Close, second inversion	B3 D4 E4 G4	8	110 mm	none	identical
Close, third inversion	D4 E4 G4 B4	9	124 mm	none	identical
Drop 2	B2 E3 G3 D4	15	206 mm	none	identical
Drop 3	G2 E3 B3 D4	19	261 mm	none	identical
Drop 2 and 4	E2 B2 G3 D4	22	303 mm	none	identical

Reduced

A subset of the pitch classes: the identity is incomplete rather than altered.

Type	Notes	Semitones	Span	Omissions and additions	Set relation
Shell, root ♭7 ♭3	E2 D3 G3	15	206 mm	omits B	subset
Guide tones, ♭3 and ♭7	G3 D4	7	96 mm	omits E and B	subset
Rootless close	G3 B3 D4	7	96 mm	omits E	subset

Spans are measured centre to centre at a 165 mm octave (standard keyboard geometry).

Position	Bass note	Notes in order	Figured bass	Semitones	Span
Root position	E	E3, G3, B3, D4	7	10	138 mm
First inversion: Em7/G	G	G3, B3, D4, E4	6/5	9	124 mm
Second inversion: Em7/B	B	B3, D4, E4, G4	4/3	8	110 mm
Third inversion: Em7/D	D	D4, E4, G4, B4	4/2	9	124 mm

One position per chord tone in the bass. Spans are for close position: voiced inversions appear under Voicings.

Progression	Key	Role	Sequence	Voice leading
iii, vi, ii, V	C major	iiim7	Em7 to Am7 to Dm7 to G7	Em7 opens the phrase
I, iii	C major	iiim7	Cmaj7 to Em7	3 tones held from Cmaj7
ii, V, I	D major	iim7	Em7 to A7 to Dmaj7	Em7 opens the phrase
ii, v, i	E minor	im7	F♯m7♭5 to Bm7 to Em7	2 tones held from Bm7
iv, i	E minor	im7	Am7 to Em7	2 tones held from Am7
i, ♭VI, ii, v	E minor	im7	Em7 to Cmaj7 to F♯m7♭5 to Bm7	Em7 opens the phrase
vi, IV, I, V	G major	vim7	Em7 to Cmaj7 to Gmaj7 to D7	Em7 opens the phrase
I, vi	G major	vim7	Gmaj7 to Em7	3 tones held from Gmaj7

Root motion, common tones and voice displacement are computed from pitch class sets. Roman numerals follow common practice functional harmony.

Which keys it belongs to

Key	Roman numeral	Function
C major	iiim7	Tonic substitute
D major	iim7	Predominant
E minor	im7	Tonic, home
G major	vim7	Tonic substitute
A minor	vm7	Minor dominant
B minor	ivm7	Subdominant

Classification system: common-practice functional harmony.

Change one note

Chords a single note away, and what moving that note does.

Chord	Change	Formula	Common tones
Em9	adds F♯	1 ♭3 5 ♭7 9	4
Em	drops D	1 ♭3 5	3
E7	G becomes G♯	1 3 5 ♭7	3
EmMaj7	D becomes D♯	1 ♭3 5 7	3
Em7♭5	B becomes B♭	1 ♭3 ♭5 ♭7	3
E7sus4	G becomes A	1 4 5 ♭7	3
Em6	D becomes C♯	1 ♭3 5 6	3
E9	G becomes G♯, F♯	1 3 5 ♭7 9	3
E	G, D becomes G♯	1 3 5	2
Edim	B, D becomes B♭	1 ♭3 ♭5	2
Esus2	G, D becomes F♯	1 2 5	2
Esus4	G, D becomes A	1 4 5	2

Frequencies

Note	MIDI	Frequency
E3	52	164.81 Hz
G3	55	196.00 Hz
B3	59	246.94 Hz
D4	62	293.66 Hz

Reference pitch A440, 12-TET, close root position.

Set theory: prime form, Forte number, interval vector

Absolute pitch class set: {4, 7, 11, 2}
Normal order: [11, 2, 4, 7]
Prime form: (0358)
Forte number: 4-26
Interval vector: <012120>

Pair	Interval	Semitones	Interval class
E to G	Minor third	3	3
E to B	Perfect fifth	7	5
E to D	Minor seventh	10	2
G to B	Major third	4	4
G to D	Perfect fifth	7	5
B to D	Minor third	3	3

Where these facts come from

Every value on this page is derived from the note formula for a minor 7th applied to the root E, using standard music theory. Nothing here is hand-entered per chord, so the notes, intervals, inversions and frequencies cannot drift out of agreement with each other. Pitches assume 12-TET at A440.

E Minor 7th

Fingerings

E Minor 7th: notes and degrees