Am7 chord
Am7 is A, C, E and G: 1–♭3–5–♭7 built on A. Below: guitar, piano and ukulele, each playable.
On guitar
x-0-2-0-1-0 · open · easy
- Notes
- A · C · E · G
- Formula
- 1 · ♭3 · 5 · ♭7
- First shape
- x-0-2-0-1-0
Am7 on guitar: every shape, finger by finger
On piano
root position · A–C–E–G · right hand 1-2-3-5
- Notes
- A · C · E · G
- Formula
- 1 · ♭3 · 5 · ♭7
Am7 on piano: fingering and inversions
On ukulele
0-0-0-0 · open · easy
- Notes
- A · C · E · G
- Formula
- 1 · ♭3 · 5 · ♭7
- First shape
- 0-0-0-0
Am7 and the chords around it
The moves below are the ones you'll meet most, shown for guitar and piano.
- Am7 → D7 (V in G major)
Guitar: Am7 (x-0-2-0-1-0) to D7 (x-x-0-2-1-2): your index finger stays put, the middle finger slides across to the G string at the same fret, the ring finger comes down on the high E string, 2nd fret. The two chords share A and C, which is why the change sounds smooth.
Piano: Am7 to D7: play D7 in 2nd inversion (A–C–D–F♯) and A and C stay under the same fingers, while E moves down to D and G down to F♯. D7 - Am7 → Cmaj7 (IV in G major)
Guitar: Am7 (x-0-2-0-1-0) to Cmaj7 (x-3-2-0-0-0): your index finger lands on the D string, 2nd fret, your middle finger lands on the A string, 3rd fret. C, E and G carry over from one chord to the other.
Piano: Am7 to Cmaj7: play Cmaj7 in 3rd inversion (B–C–E–G) and C, E and G stay under the same fingers, while A moves up to B. Cmaj7 - Am7 → Gmaj7 (I in G major)
Guitar: Am7 (x-0-2-0-1-0) to Gmaj7 (3-2-0-0-0-2): your index finger lands on the A string, 2nd fret, your middle finger lands on the high E string, 2nd fret, the ring finger comes down on the low E string, 3rd fret. No finger can stay, so practice lifting all of them together and landing the new shape as a unit. G carries over from one chord to the other.
Piano: Am7 to Gmaj7: play Gmaj7 in 1st inversion (B–D–F♯–G) and G stays under the same finger, while A moves up to B, C up to D and E up to F♯. Gmaj7
Guitar with a capo: capo 5, Em7 shape; capo 7, Dm7 shape. Ukulele with a capo: capo 5, Em7 shape; capo 7, Dm7 shape.
How Am7 is built
Am7 is a minor seventh chord: a minor triad plus a minor seventh. It is mellow rather than sad, and slides easily into other chords, which is why funk, R&B and jazz lean on it.
Count keys (black and white) from A: 3 half steps up to C, 4 half steps up to E then 3 half steps up to G.
| Note | Role | Half steps | Hear it |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | root | 0 | |
| C | minor third | 3 | |
| E | perfect fifth | 7 | |
| G | minor seventh | 10 |
Keys and progressions with Am7
You'll find Am7 as ii7 in G major, iii7 in F major and vi7 in C major. On the minor side it's i7 in A minor, iv7 in E minor and v7 in D minor.
Am7 – D7 – Gmaj7: that's ii–V–I in the key of G major. the jazz cadence
Chords close to Am7
- Am7 is Am plus G. Am
Chords that share most of their notes with Am7: C6, C, Am, C7, Cmaj7, Cadd9.
Every A chord
Am7 chord: questions
What notes are in the Am7 chord?
A, C, E and G. Am7 is built 1–♭3–5–♭7 from A: C is the minor third, E is the perfect fifth and G is the minor seventh.
How do you play Am7 on guitar?
The usual shape is x-0-2-0-1-0 (open). All 3 guitar shapes.
How do you play Am7 on piano?
Play A, C, E and G with right-hand fingers 1-2-3-5. A sits between the last two black keys of the three. Inversions and left hand.
How do you play Am7 on ukulele?
0-0-0-0 in standard GCEA tuning. More ukulele shapes.
What key is Am7 in?
You'll find Am7 as ii7 in G major, iii7 in F major and vi7 in C major. On the minor side it's i7 in A minor, iv7 in E minor and v7 in D minor.
What's the difference between Am7 and Am?
Am7 is Am plus G.
Diagrams and sound come from the same data, tested so they match. Updated September 2026.