A Minor 7th Guitar Chord (Am7)
The A Minor 7th chord (Am7) is built from the notes A, C, E, and G: the R, b3, 5, b7 of A. Below are the five ways to play Am7 on guitar, laid out in order from the lowest position on the neck to the highest.
A minor seventh chord is smooth and mellow, the everyday minor of jazz, R&B, and pop. Am7 can be played in open position, and it also appears four more times higher up the neck.
Notes in Am7
How to play Am7: five positions
Strings run low E to high e, left to right. Dots are finger positions, a ringed dot is the root (A), an × means don't play that string, and the label on the right (like "9fr") is the starting fret. Under each shape are the notes it sounds and their role in the chord.
Hear it and explore other chords →
The free interactive Chord Library lets you switch roots and flavors instantly and see every voicing update live.
Other A chords
The minor 7th chord in other keys
Frequently asked questions
- What notes are in the A Minor 7th chord?
- The A Minor 7th chord (Am7) contains the notes A, C, E, and G. Those are the R, b3, 5, b7 of A, so the chord is A (the root), C (the flat third), E (the fifth), and G (the flat seventh).
- How do you play Am7 on guitar?
- There are five ways to play Am7, one for each CAGED shape. Am7 can be played in open position, and it also appears four more times higher up the neck. A nearby voicing often makes an awkward chord change much easier, so if one shape fights you, try the next one up or down the neck.
- What does a Am7 chord sound like?
- A minor seventh chord is smooth and mellow, the everyday minor of jazz, R&B, and pop. You can hear Am7 and any progression built from it in the free interactive tools on this site.
- Is Am7 a hard chord to play?
- Not necessarily. Am7 has an open-position shape that beginners can reach, plus higher barre-style shapes for when you want a different position or are playing with another guitarist.