Voicings · Em7 · 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
Take 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 the third-highest voice of the close voicing an octave: a wide, open sound. Strings E-D-G-B, frets 3-2-4-3.
Root, 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.
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.
The 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).
Reference
| 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.
Common questions
E, G, B, D — chord tones 1 ♭3 5 ♭7. Rootless voicings add the 9th, F♯, and leave the root to the bass.
The shell voicing (root, seventh, third) on strings D, B, e: three notes, one comfortable shape, and it still sounds unmistakably like Em7.
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.
Em7 is the ii chord in a major ii–V–I, and minor-key tonics. Its character is soft, warm, unresolved.
Keep going
Same chord on piano · Minor 7th hub.
Other chords from E