For guitar, does the way you play a chord really matter?

A chord is simply a combination of 3 or more notes. An Em7 chord will have the notes E B G and D (the D is what makes it a minor 7th instead of just an Em). Where you play those notes on the guitar is irrelevant to the fact that it is an Em7, but will affect the tone (voicing) of the chord. Those alternate ways of playing the same chord are referred to as voicings. Sometimes you want to emphasize a particular note in the chord, so you might use a chord voicing that has that particular note on the lowest or highest string to emphasize it. Or, if you're finger picking, you might want to play a certain note from the chord as part of the melody or harmony line, which might work best with a particular voicing of that chord. Sometimes, for example, I'll play an Em7 with all the strings open except the B note on the 2nd fret of the A string, but sometimes I'll add the extra D on the 3rd fret of the B string as well just to give the chord a slightly different feel (still the same notes E B G & D though, so it's still an Em7 chord). Depending on what other chords I'm playing, I might sometimes play the Em7 further up the neck using the Am7 open shape with my index finger barring the 7th fret. FWIW, your "Em7" examples are not an Em7 chord. The 4th fret of the A string would be a C# and that is not a note in an Em7 chord, nor is the A (2nd fret of the G string) Throwing in the C on the 1st fret of the B string just further confuses things. Wherever you were looking was not a reliable source of information or you looked up the wrong chord. Your second example is also wrong, You would play the A string on the 2nd fret and leave all the other strings open. You really need to find a more reliable source of information! Here's an example of the myriad ways you can play an Em7: http://www.chorderator.com/cgi-bin/generate.py?optionsDisp=no&readableTuning=Guitar+Standard&menuTab=relatedChords&chordName=Em7&tuning=EADGBE&capo=0&size=30 EDIT: I also assume you meant "E minor 7th". EM7 is actually "E major 7th" (the upper-case M usually means major and a lower case m means minor). Here's how to play the EM7 (if I assumed wrong and you really did want an EMaj7 chord when you wrote EM7) - E B G# D#: http://www.chorderator.com/cgi-bin/generate.py?optionsDisp=no&readableTuning=Guitar+Standard&menuTab=relatedChords&chordName=EM7&tuning=EADGBE&capo=0&size=30 Your examples are still neither Em7 or EM7 though.

A chord is simply a combination of 3 or more notes. An Em7 chord will have the notes E B G and D (the D is what makes it a minor 7th instead of just an Em). Where you play those notes on the guitar is irrelevant to the fact that it is an Em7, but will affect the tone (voicing) of the chord. Those alternate ways of playing the same chord are referred to as voicings. Sometimes you want to emphasize a particular note in the chord, so you might use a chord voicing that has that particular note on the lowest or highest string to emphasize it. Or, if you're finger picking, you might want to play a certain note from the chord as part of the melody or harmony line, which might work best with a particular voicing of that chord. Sometimes, for example, I'll play an Em7 with all the strings open except the B note on the 2nd fret of the A string, but sometimes I'll add the extra D on the 3rd fret of the B string as well just to give the chord a slightly different feel (still the same notes E B G & D though, so it's still an Em7 chord). Depending on what other chords I'm playing, I might sometimes play the Em7 further up the neck using the Am7 open shape with my index finger barring the 7th fret. FWIW, your "Em7" examples are not an Em7 chord. The 4th fret of the A string would be a C# and that is not a note in an Em7 chord, nor is the A (2nd fret of the G string) Throwing in the C on the 1st fret of the B string just further confuses things. Wherever you were looking was not a reliable source of information or you looked up the wrong chord. Your second example is also wrong, You would play the A string on the 2nd fret and leave all the other strings open. You really need to find a more reliable source of information! Here's an example of the myriad ways you can play an Em7: http://www.chorderator.com/cgi-bin/generate.py?optionsDisp=no&readableTuning=Guitar+Standard&menuTab=relatedChords&chordName=Em7&tuning=EADGBE&capo=0&size=30 EDIT: I also assume you meant "E minor 7th". EM7 is actually "E major 7th" (the upper-case M usually means major and a lower case m means minor). Here's how to play the EM7 (if I assumed wrong and you really did want an EMaj7 chord when you wrote EM7) - E B G# D#: http://www.chorderator.com/cgi-bin/generate.py?optionsDisp=no&readableTuning=Guitar+Standard&menuTab=relatedChords&chordName=EM7&tuning=EADGBE&capo=0&size=30 Your examples are still neither Em7 or EM7 though.

Yes it is the same if it is the same chord. Eventually, if you play long enough, you will develop a certain skill called classical. A skill that you can play a guitar like piano.Like playing a full song of canon in d using one guitar instead of 2 guitar. It is hard but way more fun. This is the time where all the variation of chord will help you to play. Good luck new comer!

Honestly, in my expierience as a guitarist for six years and self taught, it doesn't matter your fingering on the neck, as long as you gain the sound you need. But I suggest the most comftorble way for you. I can't answer which chord variation to do, but some variations are for different tunings, gains, effect, voice type, etc. but it does matter if you stop your strumming hand and wait for the fingering one to finish its job. When you are doing chords, never stop the strumming hand.

All music is exactly as good as it sounds.

Yes it is the same if it is the same chord. Eventually, if you play long enough, you will develop a certain skill called classical. A skill that you can play a guitar like piano.Like playing a full song of canon in d using one guitar instead of 2 guitar. It is hard but way more fun. This is the time where all the variation of chord will help you to play. Good luck new comer!

Honestly, in my expierience as a guitarist for six years and self taught, it doesn't matter your fingering on the neck, as long as you gain the sound you need. But I suggest the most comftorble way for you. I can't answer which chord variation to do, but some variations are for different tunings, gains, effect, voice type, etc. but it does matter if you stop your strumming hand and wait for the fingering one to finish its job. When you are doing chords, never stop the strumming hand.

All music is exactly as good as it sounds.

As you've already found out, there are different ways of playing any chord. This is because the notes in the chord can be played in various order and because any note can be played on any string. The chord you choose(or should choose) would depend on what chord came before and after it (you wouldn't want to have to dive down to play a barre chord at the 10th fret if all the other chords were in the nut position) and on the sound needed. The examples you give demonstrate what a poor method of learning using the Internet can be: fingering the B string at the 1st fret won't give you an Em7 chord and neither will the the other option you mention! However, try fretting the A string at the 2nd fret and playing all the strings, then try the same fingering but add a high D note by also fretting the B string at the 3rd fret. They sound different but are both Em7.