The Em7 mandolin chord is a minor 7th chord with the notes E, G, B, D. Its first mandolin voicing is the open position: G string open; D string open; A string at fret 2 (index finger); E string open. Whether you are learning it for the first time or checking a voicing, this page has the notes, the mandolin fingerings, the inversions and alternatives, and the progressions it appears in.
What notes are in the Em7 chord?
The Em7 chord is a minor 7th chord, and its notes are fixed: E, G, B, D. Every voicing on every instrument uses these same notes, in some order and in some octave — change one of them and you are playing a different chord. The table below lists each note with its interval from the root E, so you can see the structure of Em7 at a glance. On the mandolin, start with the first voicing above and listen for the notes E, G, B, D in Em7.
| Note | Interval |
|---|---|
| E | Root |
| G | b3 |
| B | 5 |
| D | b7 |
The root is E, the note the chord is named after and the note your ear hears as home. Above it, the intervals in Em7 are b3, 5, b7. Those intervals are the fingerprint of the minor 7th quality — any chord with the same interval pattern, on any root, is the same kind of chord. On the mandolin, the notes appear in the order the fingering dictates, but the set of notes never changes.
Em7 sounds warm and jazzy without being tense, the chord that makes ii–V–I progressions flow. That character comes straight from the intervals above, not from the instrument: the same notes on piano, guitar or ukulele carry the same colour, even though the voicing changes. On the mandolin, start with the first voicing above and listen for the notes E, G, B, D in Em7.
Comparing Em7 with its closest relatives helps to fix it in your ear. In short, minor 7th against dominant 7th: both have the flattened 7th D, but Em7 has the minor 3rd G while the dominant 7th has the major 3rd G#. Practise the two chords back to back and listen to the one note that changes — that single note is the difference between the two chords. On the mandolin, the open position of Em7 puts those notes under your fingers in the order the fingering lists them.
How to play Em7 on mandolin
On the mandolin, Em7 has 3 voicings in the data below, and each one uses the same notes — E, G, B, D — in a different place on the neck. Start with the first voicing and get it clean before you try the movable shapes further up the neck. Finger numbers below use 1 for the index finger, 2 for the middle finger, 3 for the ring finger and 4 for the little finger, and x means the string is not played.
Another way to play Em7 is the open position, in around fret 1: G string open; D string open; A string at fret 2 (index finger); E string open. This voicing is comfortable because the fretted notes sit close together, from fret 2 to fret 2, so your hand stays relaxed and every note can ring. Strum or pluck it slowly first and check that every note in Em7 — E, G, B, D — sounds, with no buzz and no accidental open string.
Another way to play Em7 is the barre chord, in around fret 5: G string open; D string at fret 5 (index finger); A string at fret 5 (index finger); E string open. It barres across strings 2 to 3 at fret 5 with the index finger. The barre is the hard part: the index finger must press every string from 2 to 3 evenly at fret 5, so roll it slightly onto its bony side and keep it close to the fret wire. If the barre buzzes, move it a fraction closer to the fret and press from the arm, not the thumb alone. Strum or pluck it slowly first and check that every note in Em7 — E, G, B, D — sounds, with no buzz and no accidental open string.
The movable voicing is the voicing to learn if you want Em7 in around fret 2: G string open; D string at fret 2 (index finger); A string at fret 5 (middle finger); E string open. The stretch is the challenge: the fretted notes span from fret 2 to fret 5, so keep your thumb low behind the neck and let your fingers reach rather than squeezing the neck. Strum or pluck it slowly first and check that every note in Em7 — E, G, B, D — sounds, with no buzz and no accidental open string.
Choosing between the voicings of Em7 is a musical decision, not a right-or-wrong one. The open or low-position voicing rings the most and suits strumming, while a barre or movable voicing lets you slide Em7 up the neck to any key without changing the shape. When you change chords, pick the voicing of Em7 that sits closest to the chord before it — shorter moves between shapes mean faster, cleaner changes. Practise the change into Em7 from the chord that comes before it in your song, not the chord on its own, because the move is the skill. On the mandolin, start with the first voicing above and listen for the notes E, G, B, D in Em7.
A short practice routine for Em7 on the mandolin: play the first voicing four times slowly, checking each note, then change to it from the chord a fourth above E and back, four times, at a slow tempo. Then play the second voicing the same way. If a note buzzes, stop and fix the finger placement rather than playing through the buzz — clean notes at a slow tempo become clean notes at full tempo, while buzzes practised fast become habits. Use the Mandolin Chord Finder to see the diagram for Em7 while you practise, and the Chord Finder to compare it with the same chord on other instruments.
Common mistakes
These are the mistakes that most often make Em7 sound wrong on the mandolin, and each one has a concrete fix. Work through them one at a time rather than trying to fix everything at once.
Rushing ii–V–I. Em7 usually leads to a dominant chord and then home. Practise the three-chord move slowly so each chord gets its full beat. On the mandolin, the open position of Em7 puts those notes under your fingers in the order the fingering lists them.
Missing one string of a course. Mandolin strings come in pairs, and Em7 needs both strings of each course to sound. If one string of a pair is muted by a neighbouring finger, the chord sounds thin. Check each course separately by plucking it on its own. On the mandolin, the open position of Em7 puts those notes under your fingers in the order the fingering lists them.
Playing the major 3rd. If the 3rd is G# instead of G, the chord becomes a dominant 7th. Keep the 3rd minor — it is what makes this chord mellow rather than bluesy. On the mandolin, start with the first voicing above and listen for the notes E, G, B, D in Em7.
Raising the 7th. The 7th here is D, flattened. Playing D# instead gives a minor-major 7th, a much tenser sound. On the mandolin, the open position voicing is the place to hear it in Em7.
Where Em7 is used
Em7 is not a diatonic triad in any major or minor key, because it is an extended or altered chord, but its base triad belongs to the key of C major, the key of D major, the key of G major. a gentle tonic in minor-key songs and a passing chord in pop. As a dominant-type chord it also points toward A major, the key a perfect fourth above E, which is the tonic it most often resolves to. That is where Em7 does its work: not as a home chord, but as a chord that creates movement and then resolves. On the mandolin, the open position of Em7 puts those notes under your fingers in the order the fingering lists them.
Because Em7 is an extended or altered chord, it appears in progressions as a colour or a dominant rather than as a diatonic staple. Try it in place of the plain E triad in a progression you already know, and listen to how the extra notes change the feel — that substitution is the usual way extended chords enter real music. The Chord Progression Builder lets you try Em7 in a progression in any key and hear how it connects to the chords around it. On the mandolin, the open position of Em7 puts those notes under your fingers in the order the fingering lists them.
The same chord on other instruments is covered in Em7 on guitar, Em7 on piano, Em7 on ukulele, and the scales that fit over it are the E major scale and the E minor pentatonic scale. Learning Em7 on the mandolin and then checking it on another instrument is one of the best ways to fix the notes — E, G, B, D — in your memory, because the notes stay the same while everything else changes.
Practising Em7
A short worked example makes Em7 concrete. Play the four-chord progression A – E – F#m – D in A major, the key Em7 most often resolves toward: A – E – F#m – D. Play each chord for one bar at a slow tempo, and listen to how Em7 sounds in that sequence — whether it feels like home, like a lift, or like a chord on its way somewhere else. Then play the same four chords in a different order, starting on Em7 itself, and notice how its character changes when it opens the progression instead of sitting inside it. On the mandolin, the open position voicing is the place to hear it in Em7.
For a second exercise, play Em7 and then the chord a fourth above E, back and forth, four times each. That move — a chord and the chord a fourth above it — is the most common resolution in Western music, and it is the move Em7 is built for when it acts as a dominant. Finish by playing Em7 on its own, slowly, and naming each note out loud as you play it: E, G, B, D. Naming the notes while you play them is what turns a shape into knowledge you can use in any key. Test yourself with the Practice Chord Quiz and keep time with the Metronome as the tempo rises. On the mandolin, the open position of Em7 puts those notes under your fingers in the order the fingering lists them.
Frequently asked questions
How do you play Em7 on the mandolin?
The first voicing is the open position: frets 0–0–2–0, fingers 0–0–1–0, on the mandolin. That voicing uses the notes E, G, B, D, and it is the one to learn first. The page above lists more voicings for Em7, so you can choose the shape nearest the chords around it.
Is Em7 hard to play on the mandolin?
It depends on the voicing. The first voicing of Em7 on the mandolin is the easiest starting point, and the movable voicings further up the neck are harder because they need a barre or a wider stretch. Practise the first voicing cleanly at a slow tempo before you try the others, and the harder shapes will come more easily.
What is the easiest voicing of Em7 on the mandolin?
The open position is the easiest voicing listed for Em7 on the mandolin: frets 0–0–2–0, fingers 0–0–1–0. Learn that shape first, get every note ringing cleanly, and only then move on to the alternative voicings further up the neck.
Is Em7 major or minor?
Em7 is a minor 7th chord: a minor triad (E, G, B) plus the flattened 7th D. It sounds mellow and jazzy, and it is the ii chord in major keys. On the mandolin, the first voicing above shows where that note sits.
What is the difference between Em7 and Em?
Em7 adds the flattened 7th D to the Em triad. That extra note softens the chord and makes it flow more easily into the next chord, especially in ii–V–I progressions. On the mandolin, the first voicing above shows where that note sits.