Play Cm75 shapes
Choose a root note
12 diagrams · 12 playable
Play C#m75 shapes
Play Dm75 shapes
Play D#m75 shapes
Play Em75 shapes
Play Fm75 shapes
Play F#m75 shapes
Play Gm75 shapes
Play G#m75 shapes
Play Am75 shapes
Play A#m75 shapes
Play Bm75 shapes
Anatomy
Minor 7th Chord Formula
The 4 scale degrees that form every minor 7th chord — in any key.
I
Root0 st
♭III
Minor 3rd+3 st
V
Perfect 5th+7 st
♭VII
Minor 7th+10 st
A minor 7th chord is a minor triad with a minor 7th stacked on top. Both the third and the seventh are flattened, giving the chord a smooth, mellow, and slightly melancholic character — without any of the urgent tension of a dominant 7th. It is the most common four-note chord in jazz and R&B alongside the major 7th.
Applied to A: A (root) – C (minor 3rd) – E (perfect 5th) – G (minor 7th). Applied to D: D – F – A – C. Applied to E: E – G – B – D.
About this tool
About Minor 7th Chords on Guitar
Minor 7th chords are the smooth, contemplative cousin of plain minor triads. They keep the dark third of a minor chord but soften the overall sound with a flat seventh — producing a mellow, jazz-flavoured tone that resists resolution rather than demanding it. You hear minor 7ths in nearly every jazz standard, every Steely Dan song, every smooth R&B ballad, and most acoustic ballads with a "thinking" mood. They're the chord that turns "sad" into "thoughtful."
- 01Built from 4 notes: root, minor 3rd, perfect 5th, minor 7th (formula 1 – ♭3 – 5 – ♭7)
- 02Smooth, mellow, contemplative sound — neither bright nor harshly sad
- 03A minor triad with one note added — the same flat 7th interval as a dominant 7th
- 04Written with "m7" or "min7" — note the lowercase m (Cm7 is minor 7th; CM7 is major 7th)
- 05Functions as the ii or vi chord in major-key jazz progressions (Dm7 → G7 → Cmaj7 = the ii-V-I)
- 06Am7, Em7, and Dm7 are the easiest open voicings — Am7 is just an open Am with the high E left as a natural note
- 07The signature chord of "smooth jazz," neo-soul, and Steely Dan-style harmony
Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
A minor 7th chord (often written Am7) is a four-note chord built from the root, minor third, perfect fifth, and minor seventh. For example, Am7 contains the notes A, C, E, and G. It has a smooth, mellow, jazz-flavoured quality — softer than a plain minor chord.
There are 12 minor 7th chords — one for each note in the chromatic scale: Cm7, C#m7/Dbm7, Dm7, D#m7/Ebm7, Em7, Fm7, F#m7/Gbm7, Gm7, G#m7/Abm7, Am7, A#m7/Bbm7, and Bm7.
A minor 7th (Cm7) uses a minor 3rd AND a minor 7th — both intervals lowered. A major 7th (Cmaj7) uses a major 3rd AND a major 7th — both natural. The "m" notation is critical: Cm7 (lowercase m = minor) and CM7 (uppercase M = major) are completely different chords.
The minor 7th formula is 1 – ♭3 – 5 – ♭7: root, minor third (3 semitones above root), perfect fifth (7 semitones), and minor seventh (10 semitones). Applied to A: A (1), C (♭3), E (5), G (♭7).
Am7 — it's arguably the easiest chord on guitar. Take an open Am chord and lift your ring finger off the G string. The result is a beautifully smooth open Am7 played with just two fingers.
The ii–V–I is the most common chord progression in jazz: in C major it's Dm7 → G7 → Cmaj7. The "ii" is a minor 7th chord built on the second degree of the scale. Master that one progression in all 12 keys and you've unlocked most of the jazz standard repertoire.
All Chord Types
Looking for something else? Search the full Chord Library — hundreds of diagrams across every chord type, including diminished 7th, augmented, 6th, slash, and extended chords.