Read left to right, 6th string to 1st: a number is a fret, 0 is an open string.
- Index finger on the 2nd fret of the A string (5th).
- Middle finger on the 2nd fret of the D string (4th).
- Let the low E, G, B and high E strings ring open.
String by string
What each string does in this shape, and which note of the chord it sounds. This is what to listen for when you pluck them one at a time.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note | In the chord |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6th (low E) | open | — | E2 | root |
| 5th (A) | fret 2 | index | B2 | fifth |
| 4th (D) | fret 2 | middle | E3 | root |
| 3rd (G) | open | — | G3 | minor third |
| 2nd (B) | open | — | B3 | fifth |
| 1st (high E) | open | — | E4 | root |
One string at a time: a chord strummed into a microphone is several notes at once, and a single string is something the page can hear exactly. A string in tune but on the wrong fret, or deadened by the finger beside it, shows up here and not on a tuner. Tap a string to check it again.
3 other ways to play Em
The same 3 notes, somewhere else on the neck. A different shape puts a different note on top, so each one colours the chord slightly differently — and one of them is usually nearer the chord you are coming from.
- 075000A shape at the 5th fret · two fingers
- x79987A barre at the 7th fret and three more fingers
- 0-10-9-0-0-0A shape at the 9th fret · two fingers
Holding it cleanly
4 strings ring open next to fretted ones. Arch the fingers so they come down on their tips — a finger lying flat will deaden the open string beside it, and the chord loses a note without sounding obviously wrong.
The notes in Em
A minor chord is built from the root (1), ♭3 and 5 of its root’s major scale. From E that gives E – G – B. The major chord with its middle note lowered a semitone: darker, and just as stable.
The same root, other chords: E major, E7, Emaj7, Em7, Esus2, Esus4, Edim, Eaug.
Keys that use Em
Em is built from the notes of 6 keys. Each link is that key’s full set of guitar chords — the ones that sound right next to this one.
Frequently asked questions
What notes are in a Em chord?
E minor is three notes: E – G – B — the root, ♭3 and 5 of the E major scale. On guitar the shape 022000 sounds E2, B2, E3, G3, B3 and E4, so some of those notes appear more than once.
What is the easiest way to play Em on guitar?
The usual shape is 022000 — an open-position shape, with two fingers. It is already about as easy as this chord gets.
What is the difference between Em and E?
One note. Em has a minor third (G); E raises it a semitone. That single fret is the whole difference between the two sounds.
What keys is Em in?
Em is one of the seven chords of C major (as iii), D major (as ii), G major (as vi), A minor (as v), B minor (as iv) and E minor (as i).