Chords in every key · 1 sharp
Chords in the key of E minor
The seven chords in E minor are Em, F♯°, G, Am, Bm, C and D. E minor has one sharp: F♯.
The seven chords
Play the chords of E minor
Tap a chord to hear it. The A chord written by its place in the key: upper case for major (IV), lower case for minor (vi), ° for diminished. is its place in the key; the colour is its job: home, moving away, or pulling back home.
On guitar, Em, G, Am, C and D have A chord played near the nut that uses some unfretted strings, such as the open G, C or Em., which makes E minor one of the friendliest keys to strum in.
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
Key signature and scale
The E minor scale
E minor has one sharp: F♯.
- E1
- F♯2
- G♭3
- A4
- B5
- C♭6
- D♭7
- E, the tonic
- Other scale notes
Progressions
Common chord progressions in E minor
The same patterns of A chord written by its place in the key: upper case for major (IV), lower case for minor (vi), ° for diminished. turn up in thousands of songs. Here they are in this key, ready to play.
Minor pop
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
Minor pop in every keyAndalusian cadence
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
Andalusian cadence in every keyMinor ii–V–i
iiø7 – V7 – i7
- F♯m7♭5
- B7
- Em7
Half-diminished ii, dominant V7 and back to the minor tonic.
Heard in Blue Bossa, Autumn Leaves
Minor ii–V–i in every key
Related keys
Keys close to E minor
Keys that share most of their notes sound natural side by side, which is why songs so often move between them.
- Relative major: same notesG majorG, Am, Bm, C, D, Em and F♯°
- Parallel major: same tonicE majorE, F♯m, G♯m, A, B, C♯m and D♯°
- One step anticlockwiseA minorAm, B°, C, Dm, Em, F and G
- One step clockwiseB minorBm, C♯°, D, Em, F♯m, G and A
Capo
Play E minor with a capo
E minor's main chords, Em, Am, Bm and C, are already A chord played near the nut that uses some unfretted strings, such as the open G, C or Em.: no A clamp across all six strings at one fret. It raises every open string, so familiar shapes play in a higher key. needed.
- No capoEm Am Bm CE minor shapes · 3 of 4 openOpen in the capo tool
- Capo 7Am Dm Em FA minor shapes · 3 of 4 openOpen in the capo tool
Questions
E minor, in short
- What chords are in the key of E minor?
- The seven chords in E minor are Em, F♯°, G, Am, Bm, C and D. E minor has one sharp: F♯.
- What is the relative major of E minor?
- G major. It uses the same seven notes and the same The sharps or flats written at the start of each line of music, telling you which notes the key changes. as E minor, so the two keys share all their chords.
- How many sharps are in E minor?
- E minor has one sharp: F♯.
- Which keys are next to E minor on the circle of fifths?
- A minor (one step anticlockwise) and B minor (one step clockwise). Their chords overlap most with E minor's, which makes them the easiest keys to change to.