When playing Em, it is essential that your fingers press firmly against the fretboard so as to not hit any strings or muffle its sound. Doing this will prevent accidental hits between strings or muffled sounds between strings being played simultaneously.
The diagram below depicts a standard way of fingering this chord; some guitarists prefer using their first two fingers instead, though it’s entirely up to you.
Open position
Beginner guitarists typically start by learning open position chords. These easy to play chords provide a wide range of sounds while simultaneously practicing fretting hand fingers. Plus, songs like Magnolia by JJ Cale are great opportunities to practice switching between these chords!
The open Em chord is one of the easiest open chords to learn as it only uses two of your guitar’s six strings: E and B notes on a second fret of fourth string.
Fingering for this open chord can be moved all across the fretboard to produce different voicings, as shown below. Try it on an open D minor chord to hear its sound; additionally, this chord is perfect for songs that require you to move between barre chords such as Elliott Smith’s song “Say Yes”.
Inverted position
If you want to add an exciting twist to your chords, try playing them in their inverted positions. This can help create more intricate sequences and progressions as well as become familiar with different shapes that could eventually expand your musical vocabulary. Practice this technique by switching up different songs.
Start with an E minor chord; this simple yet stunning sounding chord can be played easily using two fingers and has an appealing sound. Experiment with using the E natural minor scale as you improvise over this chord to add blues-style flair!
Work on chord inversions as part of your daily practice routine to develop finger strength while also developing an understanding of how these chords fit together in a progression and apply this knowledge in your compositions.
Minor third
Minor third chords are one of the most versatile guitar chords used across multiple genres and genres. Additionally, most guitarists begin learning it early on as it is easy and can be an excellent way to test out your fingers’ capabilities. Play it using index, middle and ring fingers on fifth string with no low E/A strings involved (ie no low E or A strings are involved in playing this chord).
Perfect fifths are named so because of the interval between its root note and fifth note; this term describes this type of chord’s structure. But there are other intervals you can create which provide more color than its perfect fifth counterpart.
Major triads often sound brighter and happier than minor ones due to the major scale’s greater number of sharps than flats; but it is important to remember that all intervals still exist even though their appearance might differ.
Major third
The Em chord is a favorite among guitar players. Its four open strings create a fuller sound than other basic chords and it contains the root note of its key for creating progressions with other chords.
To create a more complex chord, try adding an Em7. This will add a minor seventh that gives your chord a fuller sound – great for use in reggae and ska songs!
To form an Em7 chord, position your index finger on the fifth string’s second fret and rest your middle finger on its fourth fret before moving your ring finger to its sixth fret on the fourth string; this will form a C major chord with a minor seventh note that can be played both openly or barre style by raising your index finger.