The E Minor 7th chord is a four-note chord made up of E, G, B, and D. It is built from a root, minor third, perfect fifth, and minor seventh.
Construction
| Note | Interval | Degree |
|---|---|---|
| E | Root | 1 |
| G | Minor 3rd | ♭3 |
| B | Perfect 5th | 5 |
| D | Minor 7th | ♭7 |
E Minor 7th Inversions
| Position | Notes |
|---|---|
| Root Position | E – G – B – D |
| 1st Inversion | G – B – D – E |
| 2nd Inversion | B – D – E – G |
| 3rd Inversion | 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♯).
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.
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Chords in the Key of E Minor
These are the triads built on each degree of the E minor scale:
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.
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: