E minor 7th chords are an indispensable part of acoustic guitar playing – easy to learn and sound great in almost every song!
You can form this chord in several different formations, each offering its own sound and musical application. Through this process, you’ll also discover chord extensions.
E Minor Scale
The E Minor Scale is a key that contains one sharp. It includes pitches E, F, G, A, B and C which make up this scale that corresponds closely with E Major. When chord progressions work well in this key it should also use this scale.
The open E minor 7 chord is a popular choice among acoustic guitarists. This variation of Em chord features an added 7th note and works particularly well on degrees II and III of a minor scale or as part of II7-V-I chord in major scale.
Addition of a seventh note to an Em chord creates a more dramatic sound, and can also create more melancholy mood. Use this chord in any song that uses Em chord. Experiment with different variations to see how they change the feel of songs – this is particularly useful for songwriters who need to smoothly transition between major and minor chords.
E Major Scale
The E Major Scale consists of 7 notes. Additionally, there is an octave note (the 1st scale degree played an octave higher) and four sharps can be played from different fretboard positions.
As with chords, scales consist of patterns that repeat themselves. Learning these repetitions will help you quickly and confidently learn music.
As with chords, scales may be presented either through diagrams or guitar tablature. Both forms can be equally helpful so it’s beneficial to learn both versions so you can quickly access information when it’s needed.
The E Major Scale follows the same pattern as C Minor Scale but with a flattened third note. This difference makes the scale sound unique and can make an enormous difference to how a song makes you feel, such as whether or not its choice of third note causes optimism or melancholy in you.
G Major Scale
G major is among the first scales that beginning guitarists learn, as it shares its structure with E minor pentatonic but begins at different frets. To play a G chord, block off its G string with your thumb before using index finger (D note), middle finger (A note), ring finger (F# note) and pinky (G note) respectively to play out its notes.
Each scale contains a tonic tone that serves as its center point and determines its key; an Em chord indicates it belongs to key of G, for example.
This E minor 7th chord is an accessible chord for acoustic guitarists to learn quickly, sound great in many genres of music and build muscle memory with songs you know. Also check out ChordBank’s Chord Coach to practice finger placement with real-time feedback – this can help speed your fretboard travel time while keeping fingers out of each other’s way!
B Major Scale
The B major scale is an extremely versatile chord building block. Consisting of the first, flat third, and flat seventh of E minor scale – this chord boasts a very distinctive sound which has found use across many genres of music.
To play this chord, use your pinky and ring fingers to fret the E string second fret before using your index finger to add the flat 5th of B major scale – opening up and lengthening out the entire chord while stretching your fingers more effectively and sounding great!
Remember that all major and minor triads are built by adding the note one fret below the name of the chord to form extended chords, and vice versa. For further assistance on chords and key signatures please check our article “Chords and Key Signatures”, it will help explain all these rules more completely! Thank you for being part of our musical community!