E minor seventh
Em7 Piano Voicings
Em7 is a minor-seventh chord, smooth and mellow. It is the ii chord that opens a ii-V-I and a minor tonic in its own right — one of the four core seventh chords every pianist drills first.
Drill Em7 in all 12 keysThe notes in Em7
- E R
- G ♭3
- B 5
- D ♭7
Em7 voicings on piano
Each voicing is the exact shape the trainer drills. Press play to hear it — as a block chord or rolled note by note.
Root Position
E · G · B · D R · ♭3 · 5 · ♭7
Shell Voicing
E · G · D R · ♭3 · ♭7
Rootless A
G · B · D · F# ♭3 · 5 · ♭7 · 9
Rootless B
D · F# · G · B ♭7 · 9 · ♭3 · 5
Where Em7 fits in a ii-V-I
Em7 is a minor-seventh chord, smooth and mellow. It is the ii chord that opens a ii-V-I and a minor tonic in its own right — one of the four core seventh chords every pianist drills first.
The fastest way to internalise Em7 is to drill it in context across all 12 keys until the shape is automatic.
Practice the full ii-V-I progressionEm7 — frequently asked questions
What notes are in Em7?
Em7 contains E, G, B, D — root, minor third, perfect fifth and flat seventh.
What is the shell voicing for Em7?
The Em7 shell voicing keeps root, minor third and flat seventh, dropping the fifth.
What is the rootless voicing for Em7?
A rootless Em7 voicing plays the third, fifth, seventh and ninth — the Bill Evans shape used over a walking bass.