E minor chord

E minor chord for guitar in different forms, both open and barre chords.

Diagram with fingerings

Em / Emin / Emi / E- / E minor

Em chord diagram with fingerings

Diagram with notes

Em / Emin / Emi / E- / E minor

Em chord diagram with notes

Alternative shapes

Em

  • Em chord diagram 0 10 9 0 8 0

Em

  • Em chord diagram 075400

Em barre 1st

  • Em barre chord diagram 12 14 14 12 12 12

Em barre 2nd

  • Em barre chord diagram X79987

Alternative fingerings

Em

  • G chord diagram alternative fingerings

Relevant chords

Em/A

  • Em/A chord diagram X02000

Em/D

  • Em/D chord diagram XX0000

Learn from video

Try in a chord progression

Em - C - D - G

Progressions with diagrams (pdf)

Chords that sound good together with E minor

The primary chords that sound good to combine with Em in chord progressions are: G, Am, Bm, C, D.
Secondary chords are among many others: Cmaj7, D7, Gmaj7, Am7, B7.

Follow-up chords

Chords that are likely to follow E minor in progressions:
› G
› C
› D
› Am

Finger position (Em chord)

Index (1st) finger or middle (2nd) finger on 5th (thinnest) string, 2nd fret.
Middle (2nd) finger or ring (3rd) finger on 4th (thinnest) string, 2nd fret.

Chord names

Em is an abbreviation for E minor (a less common abbreviation is Emin).

Theory of the Em chord

The notes that the Em chord consists of are E, G, B.
To get Em7 add D.
To get Em6 add C#.

Inversions

1st inversion: Em/G (means that G is the bass note).

2nd inversion: Em/B (means that B is the bass note).
Diagrams of these inversions

Assorted slash chords

Versions with alternate bass notes in short notation:

Em/F#: 222000
Em/C: X32000
Em/D: XX0000 / XX0453

Alternative chord names

Em/F# is theoretically identical with Emadd9/F#.
Em/A is theoretically identical with Emadd11/A or A9(no3).
Em/C is theoretically identical with Cmaj7.
Em/C# is theoretically identical with Em6/C#.

Em/D is theoretically identical with Em7/D or G6/D.

Omissions (dyads)

Em (no3) is an E minor with no third (G).
Em (no5) is an E minor with no fifth (B).

Written in tab format

- 0 -
- 0 -
- 0 -
- 2 -
- 2 -
- 0 -


For pdf, see The Chord Reference ebook with over 800 chord charts.



Back to minor chords

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