ArpeggiosEN

Arpeggio

A m7

Minor

Formula
1 ♭3 5 ♭7
Notes
A C E G

Notation

441♭35♭7

Fretboard — frets 0–24

A m7 — frets 0 to 24, 52 notes, roots in orange5♭71♭35♭71♭35♭35♭71♭35♭71♭71♭35♭71♭35♭75♭71♭35♭71♭31♭35♭71♭35♭715♭71♭35♭71♭350123456789101112131415161718192021222324
A m7 — frets 0 to 24, 52 notes, roots in orange5♭71♭35♭71♭35♭35♭71♭35♭71♭71♭35♭71♭35♭75♭71♭35♭71♭31♭35♭71♭35♭715♭71♭35♭71♭350123456789101112131415161718192021222324

Degrees

DegreeNoteIntervalSemitonesRole
1Aperfect unison0The root — the tonal centre every other note is heard against; land on it and the sound resolves.
♭3Cminor third3The minor third — the dark counterpart of the major third; it turns a shape minor and colours m, m7 and the minor scales.
5Eperfect fifth7The perfect fifth — the root's strongest companion; it anchors every triad and stacked-seventh quality.
♭7Gminor seventh10The minor seventh — the dominant's engine; a whole step under the root, it turns a triad into a 7 chord and drives the resolution.

About this arpeggio

The minor seventh chord is the workhorse of popular music: a minor triad with a minor seventh on top. It is stable enough to sit on as a tonic, yet flexible enough to function as the ii chord in a major ii–V–I, where it leans gently toward the dominant. Blues, funk, rock and jazz all live in this shape, and its four notes map onto the dorian, aeolian and phrygian scales depending on context. Because the seventh is a whole step below the root, the chord has a soft edge rather than a leading-tone pull. Arpeggiated, it teaches the minor third and seventh together. Listen for that open, smoky interval between them.

How to practise this arpeggio

  • Play it as the ii chord of a ii–V–I and hear how it leans toward the dominant.
  • Compare it with the minor triad: the seventh adds smoke without changing the mood.
  • Hold the seventh and the third together and listen for the open interval.
  • Loop the arpeggio over a funk groove and accent the seventh.