Piano chord
A Minor 7th Chord
Am7 is a minor 7th chord built on A. It contains the notes A – C – E – G.
Am7
Also written: Amin7, A-7
- A
- C
- E
- G
Notes in Am7
Count up from A using the intervals below. The formula shows each note relative to the A major scale.
| Notes | Intervals | Formula | Semitones |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Root | 1 | 0 |
| C | Minor 3rd | ♭3 | 3 |
| E | Perfect 5th | 5 | 7 |
| G | Minor 7th | ♭7 | 10 |
How to play Am7 on piano
- Right hand: fingers 1–2–3–5 (thumb on A).
- Left hand: fingers 5–3–2–1, or play just the root in the left hand and the other notes in the right.
- Inversions keep your hand closer to the previous chord — see below.
Am7 inversions
An inversion puts a different note of Am7 at the bottom. The notes stay the same, the colour and voice leading change.
Root position
Am7A – C – E – G
1st inversion
Am7/CC – E – G – A
2nd inversion
Am7/EE – G – A – C
3rd inversion
Am7/GG – A – C – E
About minor 7th chords
The minor 7th is the workhorse of jazz and R&B — smoother than a plain minor chord, with a relaxed, after-midnight feel.
Sound: Smooth & jazzy
Songs that use it
- What's Going On · Marvin GayeR&B
- Fly Me to the Moon · Frank SinatraJazz
- Isn't She Lovely · Stevie WonderR&B
Keys that contain Am7
Am7 is built only from notes of these keys. The Roman numeral shows its role in each key.
Hear Am7 with different sounds and compare it with other chords in the interactive builder.
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