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Minor 7th chords on guitar

Minor 7th chords in all 12 keys.

Minor 7th chords that occur together in major keys

Each pair uses the chord shapes or piano inversions with the most fingers or notes kept in place.

C major

Dm7 · Em7 · Am7

  • Dm7 → Em7xx0211 → 020000No finger stays in place; each finger moves at most 1 fret up.
  • Dm7 → Am7xx0211 → x020101 finger stays in place: index finger on the B string at fret 1.
  • Em7 → Am7020000 → x02010No finger stays in place; each finger moves at most 1 fret down.

Db major

Ebm7 · Fm7 · Bbm7

  • Ebm7 → Fm7x68676 → 131111No finger stays in place; each finger moves at most 5 frets down.
  • Ebm7 → Bbm7x68676 → x13121No finger stays in place; slide the whole shape 5 frets down.
  • Fm7 → Bbm7131111 → x131211 finger stays in place: index finger on the G string at fret 1.

D major

Em7 · F#m7 · Bm7

  • Em7 → F#m7020000 → 242222No finger stays in place; keep the fret numbers and move to different strings.
  • Em7 → Bm7020000 → x202021 finger stays in place: index finger on the A string at fret 2.
  • F#m7 → Bm7242222 → x20202No finger stays in place; each finger moves at most 2 frets.

Eb major

Fm7 · Gm7 · Cm7

  • Fm7 → Gm7131111 → 353333No finger stays in place; slide the whole shape 2 frets up.
  • Fm7 → Cm7131111 → x35343No finger stays in place; each finger moves at most 2 frets up.
  • Gm7 → Cm7353333 → x353431 finger stays in place: index finger on the G string at fret 3.

E major

F#m7 · C#m7

  • F#m7 → C#m7242222 → x42100No finger stays in place; each finger moves at most 2 frets down.

F major

Gm7 · Am7 · Dm7

  • Gm7 → Am7353333 → x02010No finger stays in place; each finger moves at most 3 frets down.
  • Gm7 → Dm7353333 → xx0211No finger stays in place; each finger moves at most 4 frets down.
  • Am7 → Dm7x02010 → xx02111 finger stays in place: index finger on the B string at fret 1.

G major

Am7 · Bm7 · Em7

  • Am7 → Bm7x02010 → x20202No finger stays in place; each finger moves at most 1 fret.
  • Am7 → Em7x02010 → 020000No finger stays in place; each finger moves at most 1 fret up.
  • Bm7 → Em7x20202 → 0200001 finger stays in place: index finger on the A string at fret 2.

Ab major

Bbm7 · Cm7 · Fm7

  • Bbm7 → Cm7x13121 → x35343No finger stays in place; slide the whole shape 2 frets up.
  • Bbm7 → Fm7x13121 → 1311111 finger stays in place: index finger on the G string at fret 1.
  • Cm7 → Fm7x35343 → 131111No finger stays in place; each finger moves at most 2 frets down.

A major

Bm7 · C#m7 · F#m7

  • Bm7 → C#m7x20202 → x42100No finger stays in place; each finger moves at most 2 frets.
  • Bm7 → F#m7x20202 → 242222No finger stays in place; each finger moves at most 2 frets.
  • C#m7 → F#m7x42100 → 242222No finger stays in place; each finger moves at most 2 frets up.

Bb major

Cm7 · Dm7 · Gm7

  • Cm7 → Dm7x35343 → xx0211No finger stays in place; each finger moves at most 3 frets down.
  • Cm7 → Gm7x35343 → 3533331 finger stays in place: index finger on the G string at fret 3.
  • Dm7 → Gm7xx0211 → 353333No finger stays in place; each finger moves at most 4 frets up.

Minor 7th formula compared with nearby chord types

These A-rooted chords share their listed notes; each button plays the two chords in order.

Am7 and Am

Am7: A · C · E · G · formula 1 · b3 · 5 · b7

Am: A · C · E · formula 1 · b3 · 5

Shared notes: A, C, E; Drops G.

Am7 and Amaj7

Am7: A · C · E · G · formula 1 · b3 · 5 · b7

Amaj7: A · C# · E · G# · formula 1 · 3 · 5 · 7

Shared notes: A, E; C, G change to C#, G#.

The intervals 1, b3, 5, and b7 give it a mellow, relaxed sound.

7 of the 12 minor 7th chords on guitar have an easy shape (no barre, three fingers or fewer, first four frets): Em7, Am7, Dm7, Bm7, C#m7, Abm7, Bbm7.

Easiest to hardest

  1. Em7
  2. Am7
  3. Dm7
  4. Bm7
  5. C#m7
  6. Abm7
  7. Bbm7
  8. F#m7 (higher up the neck)
  9. Gm7 (higher up the neck)
  10. Ebm7 (higher up the neck)
  11. Fm7 (higher up the neck)
  12. Cm7 (higher up the neck)

Other chord types: Major · Minor · 7th · Major 7th · Sus2 · Sus4 · Add9 · Diminished · Augmented