E minor (Em) chord on guitar

The E minor chord (Em) is a minor triad, made of three notes: E – G – B.

Dots show:

Open positioneasy

D shape, fret 2medium

Position 4medium

A shape, fret 7hard

E shape, fret 12medium

Position 12medium

Tap a string on a diagram to hear just that string. The sound is generated in your browser with a physical string model.

Chord finder Transposer Tuner

What the Em chord sounds like

A minor triad differs from a major one only in the third: it has a minor third, which gives it a darker, sadder colour. In a major key, chords ii, iii and vi are minor.

Notes of the Em chord

Degree	Note	Interval from the root
1	E	root
3	G	minor third (3 semitones)
5	B	perfect fifth (7 semitones)

How to play it – with fingering

Open position, barre at fret 2

String 1 (e): open (E4)
String 2 (B): open (B3)
String 3 (G): open (G3)
String 4 (D): fret 2, ring finger (E3)
String 5 (A): fret 2, middle finger (B2)
String 6 (E): open (E2)

D shape, fret 2

String 1 (e): fret 3, middle finger (G4)
String 2 (B): fret 5, little finger (E4)
String 3 (G): fret 4, ring finger (B3)
String 4 (D): fret 2, index finger (E3)
String 5 (A): not played
String 6 (E): not played

Position 4

String 1 (e): not played
String 2 (B): fret 5, ring finger (E4)
String 3 (G): fret 4, index finger (B3)
String 4 (D): fret 5, middle finger (G3)
String 5 (A): fret 7, little finger (E3)
String 6 (E): not played

The “C, A, G, E and D shapes” are the CAGED system: you slide the shape of the open C, A, G, E or D chord up the neck and your index finger (a barre) takes over the job of the nut. That way the same chord can be played in five places, anywhere on the fretboard.

Tuning: E A D G B E (low to high). String 6 is the thickest, the low E. In the diagram, × means the string is not played, and a circle means an open string.

Playing Em with a capo

A capo clamps all the strings at one fret, so a familiar open shape sounds higher. You can also get a Em chord with these open shapes:

Capo: fret 2
shape: Dm

Capo: fret 7
shape: Am

Rework a whole song for a capo: chord transposer →

Which keys is it in?

The Em chord is built from the notes of these keys (for minor keys, both the natural and the harmonic minor are considered):

E minor: i (tonic)
A minor: v (dominant)
B minor: iv (subdominant)
C major: iii
G major: vi
D major: ii

Similar chords and substitutes

If Em is too hard, or you want a different colour in the same spot, these chords are worth a try.

Substitutes (by function)

G – relative major: two shared notes
C – the major chord a major third below: two shared notes
Em7 – a fuller, softer minor colour

Simpler versions

E5 – all 2 of its notes are in this chord

Richer versions

Em7 – the same chord plus 1 colour note
Em6 – the same chord plus 1 colour note
Em9 – the same chord plus 2 colour notes

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the Em chord?

E, G, B. The root is E; the intervals of the other notes from the root: minor third, perfect fifth.

What is the easiest way to play Em on guitar?

The easiest shape above is “Open position”, rated easy. We show 6 shapes, from open and easy versions to movable barre shapes higher up the neck. With a capo you can also play it as a Dm shape at fret 2 or a Am shape at fret 7.

How do I read the chord diagram?

Strings run from the lowest (left) to the highest (right) – tick “Left-handed” to mirror it. Rows are frets; a number at the side shows the starting fret. Dots are fingers (1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring, 4 little), a long bar is a barre, × means don't play that string and ○ means play it open.

How is the Em chord written?

The chord symbol is Em, and its full name is E minor.