Em7 chord on piano
Em7 is E, G, B and D. You'll find E just right of the pair of black keys (a white key). Play it once at full speed, then at a quarter to hear every note.
root position · E–G–B–D · right hand 1-2-3-5
- Notes
- E · G · B · D
- Formula
- 1 · ♭3 · 5 · ♭7
How to play Em7 on piano
From E, go 3 half steps up to G, 4 half steps up to B then 3 half steps up to D. That's the whole chord: 4 keys.
- Right hand: 1 on E, 2 on G, 3 on B and 5 on D.
- Left hand: 5 on E, 3 on G, 2 on B and 1 on D.
- On the keyboard it's white, white, white and white keys, the same pattern as Dm7 and Am7, so your hand shape carries over.
Em7 inversions
- root position: E–G–B–D. RH 1-2-3-5.
- 1st inversion: G–B–D–E, G lowest. Fingers 1-2-3-5.
- 2nd inversion: B–D–E–G, with B at the bottom. Fingers 1-2-3-5.
- 3rd inversion: D–E–G–B (D in the bass). Right hand 1-2-3-5.
Nobody plays every chord in root position. The inversions let Em7 sit wherever the previous chord left your hand.
Em7 chord changes
Songs rarely hold Em7 for long. Here's what your hand does on the moves that come up most.
- A7 (V in D major): Em7 to A7: play A7 in 2nd inversion (E–G–A–C♯) and E and G stay under the same fingers, while B moves down to A and D down to C♯. A7 on piano
- Gmaj7 (IV in D major): Em7 to Gmaj7: play Gmaj7 in 3rd inversion (F♯–G–B–D) and G, B and D stay under the same fingers, while E moves up to F♯. Gmaj7 on piano
- Dmaj7 (I in D major): Em7 to Dmaj7: play Dmaj7 in 1st inversion (F♯–A–C♯–D) and D stays under the same finger, while E moves up to F♯, G up to A and B up to C♯. Dmaj7 on piano
Em7 is a minor seventh chord: a minor triad plus a minor seventh. Em7 is the easy-going minor, common as the ii chord right before a dominant seventh. Play it solid and then broken to hear the difference.
A short Em7 drill
Start with a broken chord, E G B D B G E, then play it solid. Then climb the inversions: E–G–B–D, then G–B–D–E, then B–D–E–G, then D–E–G–B.
The keys of Em7
Em7 is a minor seventh chord, 1–♭3–5–♭7 from E. Root position, from the bottom: how Em7 is built.
| Note | Key | Fingers | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| E | white key | RH 1 · LH 5 | root |
| G | white key | RH 2 · LH 3 | minor third |
| B | white key | RH 3 · LH 2 | perfect fifth |
| D | white key | RH 5 · LH 1 | minor seventh |
Where Em7 shows up
In D major, ii–V–I on piano is Em7 (E–G–B–D), A7 (A–C♯–E–G) and Dmaj7 (D–F♯–A–C♯). About the jazz cadence.
Em7 on guitar and ukulele
Switching instruments? Try Em7 on ukulele or Em7 on guitar, or compare them on the Em7 chord page.
Close to Em7
Other minor seventh chords
Em7 on piano: questions
What notes are in Em7 on piano?
E, G, B and D: E (white key), G (white key), B (white key) and D (white key). Right hand 1-2-3-5, left hand 5-3-2-1.
How do you play Em7 on piano?
Press E, G, B and D together, all white keys. Right hand: 1 on E, 2 on G, 3 on B and 5 on D.
What are the inversions of Em7?
1st inversion (G–B–D–E), 2nd inversion (B–D–E–G) and 3rd inversion (D–E–G–B), after root position (E–G–B–D). Same notes, a different one at the bottom.
What does Em7 look like on the keyboard?
white, white, white and white keys, the same pattern as Dm7 and Am7, so one hand shape covers all of them.
Shapes and sound are generated from the notes E, G, B and D and tested automatically. Updated September 2026.