Am7 guitar chord
The A minor 7th chord: every way to play it on the neck, the notes in it, and the scales that sound good over it.
What's in Am7
- Notes
- A – C – E – G
- Formula
- 1 – b3 – 5 – b7
- Name
- A minor 7th
Am7A · C · E · G
3 ways to play it · Tuning E A D G B E
- Open · A shape
- E shape · 5th fret
- D shape · 7th fret
What to play over Am7
Start with the chord's own notes — A, C, E, G — and land on them on the strong beats. Then reach for a scale; which one depends on the chord's job in the song.
- A Dorian mode
The usual choice over m7, especially a ii7 in a ii–V–I.
- A minor pentatonic scale
The safe start — it holds all four notes of the chord.
- A natural minor scale
The natural minor, when the chord is the home chord (i7).
Questions
What notes are in a Am7 chord?
Am7 has 4 notes: A, C, E, G. Counted from the root, its formula is 1 – b3 – 5 – b7.
What scale goes with Am7?
A Dorian mode is the place to start. The usual choice over m7, especially a ii7 in a ii–V–I.