Em chord on guitar
The Em chord, or E minor, stacks 3 notes on E: E, G and B. Musicians write its formula 1 ♭3 5.
Notes and intervals of Em
Each note of Em has a job. Counted from the root, you get root (E), minor 3rd (G) and perfect 5th (B). Change one of these intervals and you get a different chord, which is why the formula 1 ♭3 5 is worth memorising rather than the shape alone.
| Degree | Interval | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | root | E |
| ♭3 | minor 3rd | G |
| 5 | perfect 5th | B |
How to play Em on guitar
Start with the first diagram: 0 2 2 0 0 0, read from the 6th string (low E) to the 1st string (high E). Your lowest note is E. The next positions give the same notes in a different order, which is useful when you want Em to sit closer to the surrounding chords.
Let the open strings ring: strum slowly once and check that every note sounds clean before you speed up.
Which keys use Em?
Em appears naturally in 3 major keys: G major (vi), D major (ii) and C major (iii). In G major it is the vi chord, so you will meet it in many songs written in that key and in its relative minor.
Scales to play over Em
These scales share every note of Em: E natural minor scale, E harmonic minor scale, E melodic minor scale, E minor pentatonic scale, E blues scale, E Dorian mode and E Phrygian mode. E natural minor scale is the safest choice; the others add more colour.
About minor chords
The minor chord swaps the major third for a minor third: 1 ♭3 5. That single semitone makes the sound darker, softer and more inward. Minor does not have to mean sad: in funk, Latin music or rock it can sound tough or cool, and it can end a piece just as convincingly as a major chord.
It is the tonic of minor keys (i) and appears on ii, iii and vi in major keys. Typical moves: i iv V (the major V borrowed from harmonic minor), i ♭VI ♭VII, and vi IV I V. Every major chord has a relative minor a minor third below that shares two of its notes.
Start with the open shapes Em, Am and Dm. The movable shapes grow out of them: the E-shape minor barre (root on the 6th string) and the A-shape minor barre (root on the 5th string). Compared with the major barre, only the third moves, one fret lower, so switching between major and minor is quick once your barre is solid.
Reading the symbol wrong is common: 'm' or '-' means minor, while 'M' or 'maj' means major, so Am and AM are different chords. On guitar, the minor third often lies on a string that is easy to mute in a barre. And m is not m7: the 7 adds a fourth note, the minor seventh.
Frequently asked questions
What notes are in the Em chord?
Em (E minor) contains E, G and B. In intervals: root (E), minor 3rd (G) and perfect 5th (B).
How do you play Em on guitar?
The easiest shape is 0 2 2 0 0 0, from the low E string to the high E string. This page shows 3 positions with finger numbers.
What scale goes with Em?
E natural minor scale fits Em best. Other scales that contain all its notes: E harmonic minor scale, E melodic minor scale, E minor pentatonic scale, E blues scale, E Dorian mode and E Phrygian mode.
What key is Em in?
Em belongs to G major (vi), D major (ii) and C major (iii). In G major it is the vi chord.
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