Learn to play the Em7 guitar chord

Are you looking to add more depth and variety to your guitar playing? The Em7 chord is a great addition to your chord vocabulary. It’s common in many genres, including folk, blues, jazz, and rock. It offers a rich and slightly melancholic sound.

In this article, we’ll break down the Em7 chord, teach you how to play variations, and provide tips for mastering this simple seventh chord.

Basics of the E minor 7th chord

Before jumping into playing Em7, it’s helpful to have a solid grasp of basic chord structures. If you’re familiar with open chords like C, G, D, and Em, you’re already on the right track.

The Em7 chord is a minor seventh chord, which means it consists of four notes: the root, minor third, perfect fifth, and minor seventh. Compared to a standard E minor chord, Em7 adds a D note. Even though this seems like a small change, it really does change the sound.

These are the notes in the E minor 7th chord:

• E – Root note
• G – Minor third
• B – Perfect fifth
• D – Minor seventh

How to play the E minor seventh chord on the guitar

Compare the Em7 chord shape to your standard E minor chord, and you’ll notice the similarity. Also, you might be pleasantly surprised that the Em7 chord is actually easier to play—you only need one finger on the fretboard!

One of the best things about Em7 is that it’s one of the easiest seventh chords to play, making it perfect for beginners. Here’s one of the most common ways to play the open Em7 shape:

• 5th string (A): Place your middle finger on the 2nd fret.
• All other strings: Play open.

Em7 chord variation

Learning alternate ways to play Em7 is a great next step once you’ve mastered the basic version. Here’s one way to play Em7 by building on the chord shape above:

• A string: Place your index finger on the 2nd fret.
• D string: Place your middle finger on the 2nd fret.
• B string:  Place your ring finger on the 3rd fret.
• High E string:  Place your pinky finger on the 3rd fret.
• G and low E strings: Play open.

You might notice right away that this variation of the Em7 chord is notably more challenging, as you need four fingers on the fretboard. One of the most challenging aspects of this chord shape is getting your hand in the right position so that your fingers don’t accidentally mute any strings.

Em7 barre chord

Another option is playing Em7 as a barre chord. All barre chords require you to fret multiple strings with the same finger – you do this by laying your index finger across all the strings on the same fret. Here’s how to play Em7 using a barre shape on the 7th fret:

1. Index finger (barre): Place your index finger across all six strings on the 7th fret.
2. Ring finger: Place your ring finger on the 9th fret of the D string.
3. Middle finger: Place your middle finger on the 8th fret of the B string.
4. Strum all strings except low E, which is not part of this chord shape. Make sure every string sounds clear and that there are no unwanted sounds or muted strings.

Master the Em7 chord: 3 common mistakes to avoid

As with any new chord, practice is key. You might not encounter some of the most common chord mistakes when playing the one-finger variation of Em7. However, things can get tricky when you introduce more fingers and barring to the mix.

Here are three common mistakes to watch out for when learning new chords:

1. Accidentally muting strings

One of the most common issues when playing Em7 is accidentally muting adjacent strings. This often happens when you don’t arch your fingers enough; the rest of your hand is too close to the strings. To avoid this, make sure that:

• You are pressing the strings down with your fingertips.
• There’s enough space between your palm and the neck of the guitar.
• All strings in the chord sound clean when you play them one by one. Adjust your finger placement if you notice any of the strings are muted.

2. Rushing through chord changes

Smooth transitions between chords are essential for good rhythm and flow. Your playing may sound choppy or inconsistent if you rush through chord changes without learning the chord shape first. To improve your chord transitions:

• Practice switching between Em7 and other common chords slowly before speeding up.
• Use anchor fingers (fingers that stay in place between chord changes) to increase efficiency.
• Break transitions into small steps and focus on moving one finger at a time if necessary.
• Play with a metronome at a slow tempo. Practice playing the chord cleanly at a slower BPM (beats per minute) before speeding up.

3. Incorrect finger placement

Proper finger placement is crucial to achieve a clean and full-sounding Em7 chord, especially if you’re playing one of the more advanced variations. Issues with finger placement include pressing your fingers too far from the fret line (causing buzzing) or too close (leading to muted notes). To optimize your finger placement:

• Position your fingers just behind the fret rather than directly on top or too far back. This minimizes buzzing while ensuring all strings ring cleanly.
• Don’t press the strings too hard. Many beginners put too much pressure when fretting chords, which may lead to unnecessary tension and hand fatigue.
• Experiment with finger placement. Try to find the sweet spot through trial and error where the chord sounds clean without requiring too much force.

Popular songs to practice the Em7 chord

Practicing the Em7 chord with real songs is the best way to incorporate it into your playing. Here are some popular songs that feature the Em7 chord:

• “Wonderwall”, made famous by Oasis
• “American Pie”, made famous by Don McLean
• “Rocket Man”, made famous by Elton John
• “Call Me Maybe”, made famous by Carly Rae Jepsen
• “Wish You Were Here”, made famous by Pink Floyd

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