Chord · 1 ♭3 5 ♭7
Minor seventh chord
A minor seventh chord stacks a minor third, a major third, then another minor third. In C it is C, E♭, G and B♭. Written Cm7, Cmin7 or C−7.
- Formula
- 1 ♭3 5 ♭7
- Half steps from root
- 0 · 3 · 7 · 10
- Notes
- 4
How it sounds
Mellow and smooth, softer than a plain minor chord. It is the ii chord in the ii–V–I progression at the heart of jazz.
What’s inside
- ♭3: minor third above the root
- 5: perfect fifth above the root
- ♭7: minor seventh above the root
On the guitar
Am7 · x02010
Low E string to high E. An × means don’t play that string, an o means play it open.
Minor seventh chords in every key
| Chord | Notes | Hear it |
|---|---|---|
| Cm7 | C · E♭ · G · B♭ | |
| C♯m7 | C♯ · E · G♯ · B | |
| Dm7 | D · F · A · C | |
| E♭m7 | E♭ · G♭ · B♭ · D♭ | |
| Em7 | E · G · B · D | |
| Fm7 | F · A♭ · C · E♭ | |
| F♯m7 | F♯ · A · C♯ · E | |
| Gm7 | G · B♭ · D · F | |
| G♯m7 | G♯ · B · D♯ · F♯ | |
| Am7 | A · C · E · G | |
| B♭m7 | B♭ · D♭ · F · A♭ | |
| Bm7 | B · D · F♯ · A |
This chord is one of the answers in the game’s “Which seventh?” round.