Am7 chord on guitar

Am7 is A, C, E and G. The easiest shape is x-0-2-0-1-0. Tap Play, then slow it down.

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

How to play Am7 on guitar

Shape 1, x-0-2-0-1-0, reading from the low E string on the left:

Index finger: B string, 1st fret (C).
Middle finger: D string, 2nd fret (E).
Let the open A, G and high E strings ring (A, G and E).
Don't play the low E string: start your strum on the A string.

If an open string sounds dead, a fingertip is leaning on it. Come down more on the tips, with your knuckles bent.

Other ways to play Am7

5-7-5-5-5-5: barre shape at the 5th fret, medium. Built on the Em7 open shape with the barre as a movable nut; the root is on the 6th string.
x-12-14-12-13-12: barre shape at the 12th fret, medium. The root is on the A string; it's the Am7 shape moved up the neck.

Playing Am7 with a capo

A capo turns an open chord into Am7: capo on the 5th fret and play the open Em7 shape (0-2-2-0-3-0) or capo on the 7th fret and play the open Dm7 shape (x-x-0-2-1-1). Handy when the rest of the song's chords also have open shapes in that position.

Am7 chord changes

These are the changes you'll meet most often with Am7, using the first shape of each chord.

D7 (V in G major): 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. D7 on guitar
Cmaj7 (IV in G major): 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. Cmaj7 on guitar
Gmaj7 (I in G major): 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. Gmaj7 on guitar

Am7 is a minor seventh chord: a minor triad plus a minor seventh. Am7 is the easy-going minor, common as the ii chord right before a dominant seventh. Play it once strummed and once picked to hear the difference.

Getting Am7 under your fingers

Pick shape 1 one string at a time, low to high: A, E, G, C, E. Every note should ring clearly; if one thuds, adjust that finger before you strum. Next, alternate x-0-2-0-1-0 and 5-7-5-5-5-5, slowly, until the change takes less than a beat.

Keys and progressions with Am7

In G major, ii–V–I on guitar is Am7 (x-0-2-0-1-0), D7 (x-x-0-2-1-2) and Gmaj7 (3-2-0-0-0-2). About the jazz cadence.

Am7 on piano and ukulele

Am7 on piano and ukulele uses the same 4 notes in a different layout. See all three together.

Close to Am7

Other minor seventh chords

Am7 on guitar: questions

What notes are in Am7 on guitar?

A, C, E and G. In the x-0-2-0-1-0 shape the strings play A (A string, open), E (D string), G (G string, open), C (B string) and E (high E string, open), so E is doubled.

What's the easiest way to play Am7 on guitar?

x-0-2-0-1-0, shape 1 above. Open strings do part of the work, so no barre.

Is Am7 a barre chord on guitar?

Not in its common form: x-0-2-0-1-0 needs no barre. Barre forms exist up the neck if you want a different sound.

Which string does Am7 start on?

In the x-0-2-0-1-0 shape the lowest string you play is the A string, open, which is A, the root. Skip the low E string.

Every shape above plays only A, C, E and G, checked by the site's tests. Updated September 2026.