Chord

E Minor 7 Chord

EGBD
View on: Theory PianoGuitarUkuleleMandolin

Interactive keyboard

Highlighted notes form this chord.

Notes

E · G · B · D

Root: E

Intervals

1 · ♭3 · 5 · ♭7

How it is built

This chord starts on E and applies the intervals 1, ♭3, 5, ♭7. The result contains 4 distinct pitch classes per octave.

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Guide and musical context

About E Minor 7 Chord

E Minor 7 Chord contains E, G, B, D. Its sound is relaxed, dark and less tense than a dominant seventh.

Character and sound

Relaxed, dark and less tense than a dominant seventh.

Musical context and history

The minor seventh combines a minor triad and minor seventh. It is essential vocabulary in jazz, soul, funk, R&B and ii–V–I progressions.

How and where it is used

It works as ii in major keys, as a colored minor tonic or within modal progressions.

In Theory view you can hear the pitch collection without depending on a specific fingering. Then switch to Piano, Guitar, Ukulele or Mandolin to see how the same notes are physically distributed on each instrument.

Harmonic and musical relationships

The E minor harmony can be compared with its parallel major, which keeps the same root, and its relative major at G. The dominant a fifth above, B, is another important reference.

The formula on this page is 1 · ♭3 · 5 · ♭7 and, from E, produces the notes E · G · B · D.

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the E Minor 7 Chord?

The notes are E, G, B, D.

What is its interval formula?

The formula is 1 · ♭3 · 5 · ♭7.

How does it sound and what is it used for?

Relaxed, dark and less tense than a dominant seventh. It works as ii in major keys, as a colored minor tonic or within modal progressions.

Can I view it on a specific instrument?

Yes. Use the selector near the top to switch between Piano, Guitar, Ukulele and Mandolin without changing the musical combination you are studying.