Learn › Em7 Chord on Piano, Left Hand
New Released in April 2026
Em7 Chord on Piano, Left Hand
For the E minor seventh chord (Em7) on piano, the left hand takes E, G, B and D with fingers 5 3 2 1. Then come the patterns that make a left hand sound like a real accompaniment.
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- MIDI keyboard
- Digital or acoustic piano
- Guitar
- Computer, phone or tablet
Em7 for the left hand, position by position
Play each position slowly, then name the bottom note: that note is what the listener hears as the bass. All 4 notes are white keys, so the hand lies flat.
| Position | Notes, bottom up | Fingers |
|---|---|---|
| Root position | E G B D | 5 3 2 1 |
| 1st inversion | G B D E | 5 3 2 1 |
| 2nd inversion | B D E G | 5 3 2 1 |
| 3rd inversion | D E G B | 5 4 2 1 |
Ways to accompany with Em7
Each pattern uses only notes of Em7, so none of them can sound wrong.
| Pattern | Notes | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Block chord | E+G+B+D | learning a new song, hymns |
| Octave bass | E+E | a heavy bass under a loud melody |
| Shell: root and seventh | E+D | comping under a singer |
| Walk up the chord | E G B D | a moving bass line between two chords |
| Root and fifth | E+B | rock and pop, a full bass with two fingers |
Em7 → A7 → Dmaj7 with a quiet left hand
The table gives the closest position for each chord, so the left hand moves as little as possible.
| Chord | Left hand plays | Keys that stay |
|---|---|---|
| Em7 | E G B D (Root position) | starting chord |
| A7 | E G A C# (2nd inversion) | E G |
| Dmaj7 | F# A C# D (1st inversion) | A C# |
Both hands on Em7
Put E G B D in the right hand, an octave higher, and you hear the full Em7 with a clear bass.
Try the right hand in another position of Em7 while the left holds root position.
Make the left hand automatic on Em7
- Find E below middle C with finger 5 and drop the hand on E, G, B and D.
- Go through the patterns in the order of the table: block chord; octave bass; shell: root and seventh; walk up the chord; root and fifth.
- Play Em7 → A7 → Dmaj7 slowly until the change happens without looking down.
- Last, add a simple right-hand note on top: the left hand should keep going on its own.
Come back tomorrow and start from the pattern you found hardest today.
Train Em7 against the clock
ChordRunner shows a chord symbol and checks the notes you play, in any octave and any position, so a left-hand Em7 counts. Plug in a MIDI keyboard or use the microphone with an acoustic piano.
Play the demoCommon questions
How do you play Em7 on piano with the left hand?
Put finger 5 on E below middle C and play E, G, B and D with fingers 5 3 2 1.
Can the left hand play just two notes of Em7?
Yes: root and seventh, E D. Root and seventh already say which seventh chord it is; the right hand adds the third.
Why are left-hand fingers different from the right hand for Em7?
Because the hand is mirrored: the little finger (5) sits on the bottom note E and the thumb on top. The right hand would play the same notes with 1 2 3 5.
Can I practise left-hand chords with a MIDI keyboard?
Yes. ChordRunner detects a USB MIDI keyboard automatically, and an acoustic piano works through the microphone. It accepts Em7 in any octave, so you can train the left hand alone.
Your instrument is the controller.
ChordRunner is a browser game that teaches piano and guitar chords: a chord appears on screen, you play it on a real instrument, and your runner jumps. MIDI keyboard or microphone, both work.
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