E Minor Seventh Ukulele Arpeggio
Ukulele arpeggio — fretboard diagram
E Minor Seventh Arpeggio — Notes and Intervals
Notes: E, G, B, D
Intervals: 1P, 3m, 5P, 7m
Formula: WH-2W-WH
Number of notes: 4
Also known as: m7, min7, mi7, -7
The E Minor Seventh arpeggio contains 4 notes (E, G, B, D). Use the interactive fretboard above to explore this arpeggio on Ukulele with different tunings and fret ranges.
When to Use the E Minor Seventh Arpeggio
Play the E Minor Seventh arpeggio whenever a E Minor Seventh chord appears in a progression. Unlike scales (which include passing tones), arpeggios guarantee every note you play IS a chord tone, making your solo sound harmonically precise and intentional.
Arpeggio vs. Scale
The E Minor Seventh arpeggio uses 4 notes (E, G, B, D) while the full scale uses 7. The arpeggio is a subset — think of it as the skeleton of the scale. Practice alternating between the arpeggio and the full scale to develop a melodic vocabulary that mixes chord tones with passing tones.
How to Play E Minor Seventh Arpeggio on Ukulele
On ukulele, find E around fret 4 and play through the arpeggio tones (E, G, B, D). You may need to move beyond a single chord shape to reach all 4 notes. Practice connecting the arpeggio tones smoothly across adjacent fret positions.
The E Minor Seventh arpeggio outlines a E minor chord and fits naturally over Em, Em7, Em6 voicings. Use it to bring out the darker, expressive quality of minor harmony in your solos and melodies.
Practice Routine
Play the E Minor Seventh arpeggio as whole notes over a backing track or drone on E. Focus on intonation and tone quality for each of the 4 notes (E, G, B, D). After a few passes, begin improvising short melodic phrases built from these arpeggio tones, connecting them with passing notes.
Ukulele Tips
The ukulele's re-entrant tuning creates natural voice leading within the E Minor Seventh arpeggio. Experiment with picking patterns that take advantage of the high G string to create unexpected interval leaps within the arpeggio shape.