E minor chord (Em)

E minor is a 3-note minor chord: E – G – B. It sounds stable but darker, melancholic or intimate. Here it is on guitar, piano and ukulele, with fingering and audio.

NotesE – G – B
Formula1 – ♭3 – 5
SymbolEm · Emin · E-
TypeMinor chord

E minor on guitar

Open position
Barre at fret 7 (A shape)

How to place your fingers (open position)

Finger 2 (middle) on fret 2 of string 5 (A).
Finger 3 (ring finger) on fret 2 of the 4th string (D).
Play the 6th, 3rd, 2nd, and 1st strings open.

The numbers inside the dots are the fingers of your left hand: 1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring and 4 pinky. The colored dots mark the root (E). The other positions let you change chords without jumping along the neck, or give you a higher-pitched sound.

E minor on piano

In root position, play E – G – B from bottom to top with fingers 1, 3 and 5 of your right hand (thumb, middle and pinky). With your left hand you usually play just the root (E) or the root and the fifth.

Inversions

First inversion: G – B – E
Second inversion: B – E – G

E minor on ukulele

Open position
From fret 4

Standard tuning G – C – E – A (the G string is the high one). Is your ukulele in tune? Use the ukulele tuner.

Notes and intervals of E minor

E1 · root
G♭3 · minor third
B5 · perfect fifth

It shows up in ballads, boleros, pasillos and almost all popular music; in a major key it's usually the relative chord or the second degree.

Progressions with Em

Minor with a dominant: i – iv – V7 – i

The V7 comes from the harmonic minor scale and is typical of boleros, pasillos and ballads.

Modern minor: i – VI – III – VII

A very common progression in pop and rock, in E natural minor.

Which keys contain E minor?

Em belongs to 6 keys: in each one it plays a different role depending on the degree (the Roman numeral).

Key	Degree
C major	iii
D major	ii
G major	vi
E natural minor	i
A natural minor	v
B natural minor	iv

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the E minor chord?

E minor (Em) has 3 notes: E (root), G (minor third), B (perfect fifth).

How do you play E minor on guitar?

The easiest shape is in open position: 0 2 2 0 0 0 (from the 6th to the 1st string). Place finger 2 (middle) on fret 2 of the 5th string (A). Place finger 3 (ring) on fret 2 of the 4th string (D). Let the 6th, 3rd, 2nd, and 1st strings ring open.

What is the difference between E minor and E major?

Only the third changes: E minor uses G and E major uses G♯. That note is what makes the chord sound darker (minor) or brighter (major).

How do you write E minor in chord notation?

It is written Em; you may also see Emin or E-. Letter notation uses these equivalents to solfège: C = Do, D = Re, E = Mi, F = Fa, G = Sol, A = La, and B = Si.

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