E Minor/Major 7th
EmM7
Notes
E · G · B · D♯
Intervals
- RootE (1P)
- Minor 3rdG (3m)
- Perfect 5thB (5P)
- Major 7thD♯ (7M)
Fretboard
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Voicings & shapes
Drop-2 voicings (12)
Drop-3 voicings (8)
Shell voicings (2)
About
The E minor/major 7 (E–G–B–D♯) combines a minor triad with a major seventh. The clash between the G and D♯ creates the distinctive, unresolved tension — both tones pull in different directions harmonically. Its most common functional use is as a passing chord in a descending bass line over a minor tonic: Em → EmMaj7 → Em7 → Em6, where the upper structure stays largely static while the bass walks down by half steps. This voice-leading use, more than chord-to-chord function, is how it typically earns its place — also known as the "James Bond chord". The D♯ is the essential tone defining it. Compared to Em7, the raised seventh sharpens the tension considerably.
Chord diagrams
E Minor/Major 7th voicing charts — tap a sheet to open it full size to save or print.
Similar chords
Chords sharing two or more notes with this one, ranked by overlap.
Scales containing this chord
Scales whose notes include every chord tone. The Roman numeral (or scale degree) marks the chord root’s position in the scale.