Em asks for two fingers and gives you all six strings. That is why it is usually the first chord a teacher shows you, and why it never leaves: it sits in the keys of G, D, C and E minor, the keys guitarists play in most. The hard part is not the shape. It is letting four open strings ring next to two fretted ones without your fingers touching them.
Em chord: notes and shapes at a glance
- Name: E minor
- Symbol: Em
- Notes: E, G, B
- Where it belongs: iii in C major, ii in D major, vi in G major, i in E minor, iv in B minor
Each shape below is written from the thickest string to the thinnest: a
number is the fret, 0 an open string, x a string you
do not play. New to this? See how to read chord diagrams.
| Shape | Frets, low E to high E | Notes, low to high | What it is for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Em, one finger | xx2000 | E G B E | The very first step: one finger, the top four strings. E, G and B are all there. |
| Em, open | 022000 | E B E G B E | The standard E minor: two fingers, all six strings ringing. The one every song means. |
| Em, seventh fret | x79987 | E B E G B | The A minor shape barred at fret 7. Five strings, root on the fifth string, a tighter sound. |
| Em, twelfth fret | 12 14 14 12 12 12 | E B E G B E | The open shape an octave up, with the first finger as the nut. Same chord, brighter. |
Read each diagram from the thickest string on the left to the thinnest on the right. A cross means the string is not played, a circle means it rings open.
Em on the neck: every E, G, B
Standard tuning, frets 0 to 12. The highlighted notes are the notes of Em: any shape you build from them, anywhere on the neck, is still Em.
How to play Em, step by step
- Put your second finger on the fifth string (A) at fret 2. That note is B, the fifth of the chord.
- Put your third finger on the fourth string (D) at fret 2, right next to it. That note is E, an octave above the low string.
- Curve both fingers so that the open third string (G) rings freely. G is the note that makes the chord minor.
- Strum from the low E down through all six strings. Then pick them one by one, low to high: E, B, E, G, B, E. Six clear notes means a clean Em.
xx2000: one
finger on the D string at fret 2, and strum only the top four strings. It
is a complete E minor, just thinner. Add the A string finger when the
strumming hand can aim reliably.
Why your Em sounds wrong, and the fix
| What you hear | Likely cause | The fix |
|---|---|---|
| A buzz on the A or D string | The finger sits too far from the fret wire | Slide it up until it nearly touches the fret. Press less. |
| The G string is dead | The third finger lies flat and touches it | Arch the finger and land on its tip. |
| The chord sounds major | The first finger drifted onto the G string at fret 1 | Keep the first finger in the air: that note is G#, which makes E. |
| The change into Em is late | The whole hand lifts before each chord | Find the finger you can keep or slide, and move only the others. |
Getting in and out of Em
Em is easy alone. What takes practice is reaching it on the beat. These are the changes it turns up in most.
| Change | Shapes | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| Em to Am | 022000 to x02210 | The second and third fingers keep their shape and shift one string toward the thin strings. Then add the first finger. |
| Em to G | 022000 to 320003 | From a compact shape to a wide one. Land the low string finger first. |
| Em to C | 022000 to x32010 | Every finger moves. Practice it alone, four beats per chord. |
| Em to B7 | 022000 to x21202 | The second finger stays on the A string at fret 2 and acts as a pivot. |
In the key of G, Em is the vi chord, so G, Em, C, D is one of the first progressions worth learning. In E minor it is home, and B7 is the chord that pulls back to it. More of these on the chord progressions page.
Em7, Em(add9), Esus4: one finger away
Because Em leaves so many strings open, one extra finger changes its color without changing the hand position. These are different chords, each with its own page:
- Em7, 022030: add D on the second string at fret 3. Softer, more open. See the Em7 chord.
- Em(add9), 022002: add F# on the high E at fret 2. Still minor, with more air. See the Em(add9) chord.
- Esus4, 022200: put a finger on the G string at fret 2. The G becomes A, so the chord is no longer minor at all. See the Esus4 chord.
Songs to hear Em in
The Cranberries' Zombie loops on Em, C, G and D/F#. The Rolling Stones' Paint It Black is built on Em with B, G, D and A. Bob Marley's Redemption Song moves between G, Em, C, G/B, Am and D. Play along slowly and listen for the moment the music darkens: that is the Em.
Frequently asked questions
How do you play an Em chord on guitar?
What notes are in an E minor chord?
Which fingers should I use for Em?
What is the difference between Em and E?
Why does my Em chord sound muddy?
Who made this
Guitar Social Club is the work of Yohann Abbou, a guitar teacher in Paris who teaches adults. Every shape on this page is written string by string and checked against standard tuning, and the diagrams are drawn from those same fret numbers. The rest of our free guitar tools, including the chord finder, work the same way.
More about Yohann on his page, and about why Guitar Social Club exists.