About the E minor chord
The minor chord lowers the third by a semitone, which gives it a darker, sadder colour than the major. It appears in almost every style, from folk to metal. The symbol for it is Em.
How to play Em
- Put your index finger on the A string at fret 2.
- Put your middle finger on the D string at fret 2.
- Strum and let the low E and G and B and high E strings ring open.
1 index · 2 middle · 3 ring · 4 little
Chords in the key of E minor
These are the chords built on each note of the E minor scale, so they all sound good together with Em. The Roman numeral under each one is its position in the key.
Other E chords
Em chord questions
What notes are in a E minor chord?
E minor is made of E, G and B. In intervals that is 1, ♭3, 5 above the root, E.
What is the easiest way to play Em?
The first shape above is the most common one: 0 2 2 0 0 0 from the low E string to the high E, where x means don't play that string and 0 means play it open. Start there, and try the other shapes once it feels comfortable.
Is Em a barre chord?
The main shape above is an open chord with no barre. Some of the other shapes further up the neck do use a barre, which lets you move the same shape to any key.