Build the sound
Play E – G – B – D individually, then choose a shell voicing above. Sing the highest note before playing the chord.
Voicings · Em7 · Guitar
Em7 voicings on guitar
Em7 is spelled E – G – B – D (1 ♭3 5 ♭7) — the ii chord in a major ii–V–I, and minor-key tonics. Here are 5 ways to voice it on guitar: drop 2, drop 3, shell, rootless a, rootless b. Every diagram is playable — press play to hear the chord, or “roll it” to hear the voices one by one, low to high.
The voicings
5 ways to play Em7.
SoundRoot in gold, other voices in teal. Tap any note.
Drop 2
B · E · G · DTake the close voicing and drop its second-highest voice an octave. The most-used four-note voicing on guitar and in piano left hands. Strings E-A-D-G, frets 7-7-5-7 (position 3).
Drop 3
G · E · B · DDrop the third-highest voice of the close voicing an octave: a wide, open sound. Strings E-D-G-B, frets 3-2-4-3.
Shell (1–7–3)
E · D · GRoot, seventh and third only. The fifth is dropped — it adds nothing to the chord's identity — leaving a light, clear voicing. Strings D-B-e, frets 2-3-3.
Rootless A (3–5–7–9)
G · B · D · F♯Bill Evans-style left-hand voicing: the third on the bottom, the ninth on top, the bass player supplies the root. Strings E-A-B-e, frets 3-2-3-2.
Rootless B (7–9–3–5)
D · F♯ · G · BThe companion rootless voicing with the seventh on the bottom. Alternate A and B so the top voice moves by step through a ii–V–I. Strings A-D-B-e, frets 5-4-8-7 (position 4).
Your next 10 minutes
Make E Minor 7th part of your playing
Change the top note
Compare the displayed voicings of Em7. Notice which note is highest in each. Repeat the two shapes with the smallest comfortable hand movement, leaving a beat of silence between them.
Comp with space
Play Em7 on beats 2 and 4 at 60 bpm for four bars, then on the “and” of beat 2 for four bars. Keep the same notes while changing the rhythm. Mute unused strings and test each fretted note for buzz.
Listen for this: The chord tones are E, G, B, D. the ii chord in a major ii–V–I, and minor-key tonics. A fuller voicing is not automatically better: leave room for the melody and bass.
Understand the sound
Em7: from a pattern to a musical choice
What gives Em7 its identity?
The minor third supplies the minor identity and the flat seventh keeps the sound open. Preserve both when reducing the chord to a small voicing.
Here the third is G, and degree ♭7 is D. Play E in the bass and compare these voices individually before combining them.
Choose a useful voicing
Start with the smallest displayed shape you can play cleanly. Move its highest note into a comfortable register and listen for a clear melody above the chord.
Sound the strings separately before playing them together. If a note is muted, adjust the finger angle instead of squeezing harder.
Your guitar checkpoint
Start with E on string 5, fret 7. The next note G is on string 5, fret 10. Name both notes aloud before playing, then find the same two pitches in another octave.
Before moving on, close the diagram and name the notes: E · G · B · D. Then play a two-bar phrase from memory and leave two bars of silence.
Behind the voicings
Every Em7 chord tone on the fretboard.
Reference
Em7 — chord tones & function.
| Chord tone | Note | Interval |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | E | unison |
| ♭3 | G | minor 3rd |
| 5 | B | perfect 5th |
| ♭7 | D | minor 7th |
Arpeggio: Em7 arpeggio on guitar. Scale: E Dorian.
Take it to the bandstand.Practice Radio streams endless changes to comp Em7 through all twelve keys, with the chord and scale shown live — plus ear-training and call & response modes.
▶ Open Practice RadioCommon questions
Em7 voicings FAQ.
What notes are in Em7?
E, G, B, D — chord tones 1 ♭3 5 ♭7. Rootless voicings add the 9th, F♯, and leave the root to the bass.
What is the easiest Em7 voicing on guitar?
The shell voicing (root, seventh, third) on strings D, B, e: three notes, one comfortable shape, and it still sounds unmistakably like Em7.
What is a drop-2 voicing?
Start from the close voicing E G B D and drop the second note from the top an octave: B – E – G – D. It spreads the chord so it fits the hand — and on guitar it fits four adjacent strings.
Where does Em7 appear?
Em7 is the ii chord in a major ii–V–I, and minor-key tonics. Its character is soft, warm, unresolved.
Keep going
Minor 7th voicings in every other key.
Same chord on piano · Minor 7th hub.
Other chords from E