E Minor 7th Guitar Chord — Open D
Guitar chord voicings in Open D tuning (D-A-D-F#-A-D)
E Minor 7th Voicings in Open D
E Minor 7th filtered by fret:
E Minor 7th in Open D Tuning — Guide
The E Minor 7th chord is made up of the following notes: E, G, B, D.
Intervals: 1P, 3m, 5P, 7m.
The E Minor 7th chord in Open D tuning (D-A-D-F#-A-D) requires different fingerings than standard tuning.
The E minor seventh chord layers a minor seventh on top of a minor triad, producing E, G, B, D with intervals 1P, 3m, 5P, 7m. This four-note voicing sounds mellow, warm, and relaxed — darker than a major seventh but less tense than a dominant seventh. Minor sevenths are ubiquitous in jazz, R&B, and lo-fi music, providing a smooth harmonic backdrop that invites improvisation and melodic exploration.
How to Play E Minor 7th
On guitar, the most common voicing for E m7 is 0-2-2-0-3-0 — open position that adds one note to the simple Em shape. This is one of the fundamental shapes every guitarist should memorize early on, as it appears in countless songs and serves as a building block for more complex voicings up the neck.
E Minor 7th in Progressions
E minor seventh commonly functions as the ii7 in G major, the iii7 in C major, or the vi7 in G major. In minor keys, it serves as the i7, providing a smooth, jazzy foundation.
Common Substitutions
Em9, Em11, or Gmaj7 provide smooth alternatives that preserve the chord's mellow character.
Difficulty: On guitar, this chord has a comfortable open voicing — suitable for beginners and widely used in popular songs.