Em E minor chord
- Notes
- E G B
- Formula
- 1 b3 5
- Semitones
- 0 3 7 above the root
- Other symbols
- Emin, E−
E to G is a minor third (3 semitones), G to B is a major third (4 semitones). It differs from E major by one note: the third, G, is a half step lower than in E major.
Em on the piano
Root position from E4: E4, G4, B4. Middle C is C4.
Em on the guitar
Standard tuning (E A D G B E). Strings run low E on the left to high e on the right, frets downwards; × is a muted string, ○ an open string, and each dot shows the note it sounds, with the root in blue-green. Every shape below has E as its lowest note.
0 2 2 0 0 0 (low E to high e)
Sounds E2 B2 E3 G3 B3 E4
x 7 9 9 8 7 (low E to high e)
Sounds E3 B3 E4 G4 B4
The E-shape and A-shape grips are movable: an E-shape chord's root is the note under your first finger on the low E string, an A-shape chord's root is the note on the A string. Slide the same grip up or down to play minor chords on other roots.
Em on the ukulele
Standard ukulele tuning is G C E A, drawn with the G string on the left and frets downwards, as ukulele chord charts show it. The G string is tuned higher than the C string (G4 above middle C, a fifth over C4), so the lowest note you hear is usually on the C or E string, not on the G string, and a shape can sound as an inversion even when its root is on the G string. All four strings are strummed, so every string plays a chord tone; the root is in blue-green.
0402 (G C E A)
Sounds G4 E4 E4 B4
0777 (G C E A)
Sounds G4 G4 B4 E5
Lowest note G4, so the chord finder reads it as Em/G (first inversion).
Inversions of Em
An inversion puts a note other than the root in the bass. The name is what semicord's chord finder calls those notes played bottom to top; a slash name like C/E means a C chord with E in the bass.
| Position | Notes, bass first | Named | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Root position | E G B | Em | |
| 1st inversion | G B E | Em/G | |
| 2nd inversion | B E G | Em/B |
Where Em fits
Em is ii in D major, iii in C major, vi in G major, i in E minor, iv in B minor, v in A minor.