Chord Colors

E minor seven chord
PianoGuitar

About the E minor seven chord

E minor seven is used in E Dorian, where its notes spell the i chord. Think of it as an E minor seventh chord.

Its notes are E, G, B, and D. The intervals are a minor third, a perfect fifth, and a minor seventh.

Also called -7 and min7.

Learn more about the Em7 chord

Inversions

Position 1 of 4

E minor seven (root position)

Notes and intervals

1EERoot
2GGMinor 3rd
3BBPerfect 5th
4DDMinor 7th

Shapes

Chromatic

CC♯D♭DD♯E♭EFF♯G♭GG♯A♭AA♯B♭B

Circle of Fifths

CGDAEBF♯G♭C♯D♭G♯A♭D♯E♭A♯B♭F

Keys that use E minor seven

E minor seven is diatonic to these keys, where its notes spell the chord shown.

iE Dorian scaleiE Phrygian scaleiE Natural Minor scaleiE Dorian ♭2 scaleiE Dorian ♯4 scaleiE Phrygian ♭4 scaleiiD Major scaleiiD Dorian scaleiiD Mixolydian scaleiiD Melodic Minor Ascending scaleiiD Ionian Augmented scaleiiD Dorian ♭5 scale

Other E chords

Simpler triads

E five chordE major chordE minor chordE diminished chordE augmented chord

Suspended

E suspended two chordE suspended four chordE seven suspended four chordE nine suspended four chordE thirteen suspended four chord

Sixths and sevenths

E six chordE minor six chordE minor flat six chordE seven chordE major seven chordE minor seven flat five chordE diminished seven chordE minor major seven chordE major seven flat five chordE major seven sharp five chordE minor major seven flat five chord

Extensions

E nine chordE add nine chordE major nine chordE minor nine chordE eleven chordE thirteen chordE six nine chordE minor add nine chordE major eleven chordE major thirteen chordE minor eleven chordE minor thirteen chordE minor six nine chordE minor major nine chordE minor major eleven chord

Altered

E seven sharp five chordE seven flat five chordE seven flat nine chordE seven sharp nine chordE nine flat five chordE nine sharp eleven chordE nine sharp five chord

Functional relationships

These chords are where this one most naturally comes from and resolves to inside a key.

Relative major

G major chord Learn more about Relative major

The relative major uses the same notes and key signature, so it works as a brighter home base.

Parallel major

E major chord Learn more about Parallel major

The parallel major keeps the same root note but raises the third, giving the same key a brighter, happier sound.

Dominant

B major chord Learn more about Dominant

The dominant is a fifth above the root, and it builds tension that pulls strongly back to this chord.

Subdominant

A minor chord Learn more about Subdominant

The subdominant is a fourth above the root (a fifth below), and it usually leads on to the dominant or back home.

Tritone substitution

F seven chord Learn more about Tritone substitution

The tritone substitution stands in for this chord's dominant with a dominant seventh a half step above the root, which slides down by a half step to resolve here.

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Em7 chord on piano shown as colored note dots
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