About the Em7 chord
Em7 is a E minor 7th chord built from E, G, B, D. Mellow and smooth: a minor chord rounded off with a laid-back, jazzy seventh.
Root
E
Quality
Minor 7th
Chord tones
E G B D
Shapes
1 · beginner
Notes & intervals
Every minor 7th chord stacks the same intervals on its root. In Em7, that gives you:
root1
Home base. The root names the chord, and every other note is measured from it.
minor third♭3
The minor third is where the melancholy lives: it turns the chord dark and tender.
perfect fifth5
The fifth adds weight and strength behind the root.
minor seventh♭7
The minor seventh adds a bluesy itch that wants to resolve.
Used in genres
Minor 7th chords show up all over the progression catalog, most of all in these styles:
Character & mood
MellowMellow and smooth: a minor chord rounded off with a laid-back, jazzy seventh.