Guitar chords · Minor
Em chord on guitar
Em (E minor) has three notes: E, G and B, the The note a chord is named after and built up from. C is the root of C, Cm and C7., ♭3 and 5.
Shapes
How to play Em
Strum a shape to hear it, or pick it one string at a time. R marks the The note a chord is named after and built up from. C is the root of C, Cm and C7.; the other numbers are the chord tones.
Em has an A chord played near the nut that uses some unfretted strings, such as the open G, C or Em., and one A chord or scale fingering with no open strings. Slide it up or down the neck and it changes its root but not its type: a major shape stays major.: the A shape at The metal strips across the neck, and the spaces between them. Each fret raises a string by one half step. 7. A movable shape keeps its fingering anywhere on the neck: slide it up or down and the The note a chord is named after and built up from. C is the root of C, Cm and C7., on the lowest played string, names the chord.
Open
A shape · fret 7
Notes and formula
What makes Em minor
A minor chord lowers the 3rd of the major chord by a The smallest distance in Western music: one fret on the guitar, such as E to F or F to F♯.. That one note gives it its darker, sadder colour.
- 1Root: the note the chord is named after. Keep it.
- 3Essential: makes the chord what it is. Never drop it.
- 5Optional: drop it first when you run out of fingers.
The ♭3rd makes Em a minor chord; you can leave out the 5th.
- ERroot
- G♭3essential
- B5optional
- E, the root
- Other chord tones
Keys
Keys with Em
Em belongs to six keys: C major (iii), G major (vi), D major (ii), A minor (v), E minor (i) and B minor (iv).
Numerals follow the key's own scale, so III, VI and VII in a minor key are its own major chords. A ♭ or ♯ in front marks a chord from outside the key. How Roman numerals work
Progressions
Progressions with Em
Common progressions that use Em, each in a key that spells it Em. The outlined chord is Em.
The pop axis in G major
I – V – vi – IV
- G
- D
- Em
- C
Four chords that carry a huge share of modern pop. All four sit next to each other on the circle.
Heard in Let It Be, No Woman No Cry, With or Without You
'50s doo-wop in G major
I – vi – IV – V
- G
- Em
- C
- D
The vi chord softens the move from I to IV before the V pulls back home.
Heard in Stand by Me, Every Breath You Take
Minor pop in E minor
i – VI – III – VII
- Em
- C
- G
- D
The pop axis rotated to start on the relative minor — same four chords, darker centre.
Heard in Zombie, Numb, Despacito
Andalusian cadence in E minor
i – VII – VI – V
- Em
- D
- C
- B
A stepwise walk down to a major V borrowed from harmonic minor. Flamenco's signature move.
Heard in Hit the Road Jack, Runaway, Stray Cat Strut
Slash chords
Em over another bass note
A A chord with a different note in the bass, written after a slash: C/E is a C chord with E as its lowest note. The letter after the slash is the bass. keeps Em on top and puts another note in the bass: the letter after the slash is the lowest note you play.
- Em/G
Em with its ♭3rd, G, in the bass: the first inversion.
- Em/B
Em with its 5th, B, in the bass: the second inversion.
- Em/D
Em over D, a passing bass a Two half steps, or two frets on the guitar, such as C to D. below the The note a chord is named after and built up from. C is the root of C, Cm and C7., as in Em, Em/D, Em/C♯, C.
- Em/C♯
Em over C♯, a passing bass a major 6th above the The note a chord is named after and built up from. C is the root of C, Cm and C7., as in Em, Em/D, Em/C♯, C.
Same root
Other chords on E
Change one or two notes and the same The note a chord is named after and built up from. C is the root of C, Cm and C7. gives a different colour. Compare them by ear.
- E major
- E7 dominant 7th
- Emaj7 major 7th
- Em7 minor 7th
- Esus2 suspended 2nd
- Esus4 suspended 4th
- E6 major 6th
- Em6 minor 6th
- Eadd9 add 9
- E9 dominant 9th
- Emaj9 major 9th
- Em9 minor 9th
- E13 dominant 13th
- Emaj13 major 13th
- Em11 minor 11th
- E° diminished
- Em7♭5 half-diminished 7th
- E°7 diminished 7th
- E+ augmented
- E5 power chord
- E7sus4 dominant 7th suspended 4th
- Em(maj7) minor major 7th
- E6/9 six-nine
- Em(add9) minor add 9
- E7♯9 dominant 7th sharp 9th
Questions
Em, in short
- What notes are in the Em chord?
- Em (E minor) has three notes: E, G and B, the The note a chord is named after and built up from. C is the root of C, Cm and C7., ♭3 and 5.
- How do you play Em on guitar?
- Em has an A chord played near the nut that uses some unfretted strings, such as the open G, C or Em., and one A chord or scale fingering with no open strings. Slide it up or down the neck and it changes its root but not its type: a major shape stays major.: the A shape at The metal strips across the neck, and the spaces between them. Each fret raises a string by one half step. 7.
- What key is Em in?
- Em belongs to six keys: C major (iii), G major (vi), D major (ii), A minor (v), E minor (i) and B minor (iv).