Am7 Guitar Chord

Am7 is the A minor seventh chord. It has four notes: A, C, E and G. The open shape needs just two fingers, and it is the open C major chord with one finger lifted off, which is why C to Am7 changes feel so smooth in so many songs.

Two fingers and three open strings. Take the open C major chord, lift the ring finger, and this is what remains.

How to play Am7, step by step

Index finger: 1st fret, B string
Middle finger: 2nd fret, D string
Leave the A, G and high E strings open. Strum from the A string down, skipping the low E.

Once the open shape feels automatic, try the barre version at fret 5. It is the same chord with more weight, and the grip slides anywhere on the neck to make other minor seventh chords.

More ways to play Am7

There are 3 common Am7 shapes in total: the standard one at the top of the page, plus these, easiest first. You only ever need one. Tap any card to hear it.

Am7 guitar chord diagram, barre at fret 5, played 575555 — Barre at fret 5

Am7 guitar chord diagram, compact, frets 7 to 9, played xx7988 — Compact, frets 7 to 9

If Am7 buzzes or sounds muffled

High E string is muted: The index finger on the B string tends to lean into the high E. Stand it up on its tip so the open E next to it can ring.
Low E rings out: The low E is not in the chord and muddies the root. Start your strum from the A string, or rest your thumb lightly over the top of the neck.
Open G string sounds dead: The middle finger on the D string is probably touching it. Curl that finger so only the tip contacts the D string; the open G is your seventh and the chord needs it.

What makes it an Am7

A · C · E · G 1 ♭3 5 ♭7

Am7 is a minor seventh chord: an A minor triad (A, C, E) plus a minor seventh (G). The G takes the edge off the plain minor sound, so the chord feels calm rather than sad. In real songs Am7 has two main jobs: it is the ii chord in the key of G, where it sets up D7, and the vi chord in the key of C, where it shadows the C major chord. Those two jobs cover a huge share of pop, folk and jazz, which is why Am7 turns up everywhere.

Am vs Am7

Am has three notes; Am7 swaps the fretted A on the G string for the open G, which is the seventh. That is the whole physical difference: lift one finger off Am and you are playing Am7. The seventh makes the chord softer and less dark. If the song needs a firm, plaintive minor, keep Am; if it should float a little, Am7 does it.

Am7 chord questions

Is Am7 a good beginner chord?

Yes. The open shape needs two fingers and no barre, and most players can make it sound clean on day one.

What is the difference between Am and Am7?

Am7 adds a G note. On guitar you play Am and lift the finger off the G string. The sound gets softer and a little jazzier.

What songs use Am7?

Landslide, More Than Words, Blackbird and Fly Me to the Moon all use it, and it appears in thousands more as the ii chord of G or the vi chord of C.

Do you play the low E string in Am7?

Not in the open shape; start from the A string. The barre shape at fret 5 does use all six strings.

Why does Am7 look like C major?

Open C is the same shape plus one extra finger on the A string. The two chords also share three notes (C, E and G), which is why they swap so easily in songs.