Em is an accessible minor chord that works beautifully in many songs, pairing well with both major and minor chords for an emotive, melancholic sound.
This Em guitar chord can be formed by fretting an E minor triad with D as its bass note, creating a deeply mournful tone. Even beginners can learn it with just one finger.
Key of E
Em is an accessible beginner guitar chord. As a straightforward open chord, it works well with many others such as G, Am and C – it even fits seamlessly with key-of-E chords such as G6, G7 and Gadd9.
The open Em chord can be difficult to play at first, but with practice it becomes easier. Switching quickly between chords without pausing or hesitation is key to maintaining an uninterrupted rhythmic flow that minimizes any pauses or hesitation.
To play the barred version of this chord, position your index finger on the first fret, middle finger on second fret and ring finger on third fret; some players opt for using their pinky for fourth fret while others skip this step altogether. Strumming all six strings – melancholy minor chords can often have an air of sadness about them!
Scale
E minor is one of the most widely used open chords on guitar, being easy to play with just two fingers and having a beautiful melancholy sound. This chord can also help practice scale patterns as well as switching back and forth between chords such as G and C.
To learn the scale, start by studying these diagrams (along with any tabs or notes provided here), remembering that vertical lines represent strings while horizontal ones represent frets; each circled number corresponds to an individual note in a chord.
Next, attempt each pattern on your guitar both with and without a capo. A capo is an artificial nut used to make certain open chords easier to play in other keys and temporarily adjust speaking length of strings; using one is a great way of familiarizing yourself with this concept.
Fingerings
When learning a new chord, it is vitally important that you practice it using proper fingerings. Any deviation in finger angles could result in muted strings or buzzing notes; to prevent this from occurring, keep your fingers relaxed and allow them to naturally bend onto the fretboard.
An on-off drill is another effective way to enhance fingering abilities. Start by placing your fingers in an E minor shape on each string while strumming on every beat of counting four, until all four beats have passed and take them off for four beats before placing them back again – this allows your brain to memorize its shape while providing enough time for placing fingers properly.
To add depth and richness, the E natural minor scale, also known as E aeolian mode, can give the chord a blues feel.
Notes
The open E minor chord is one of the easiest beginner guitar chords to learn. Additionally, it serves as an excellent foundational piece that will enable players to further expand their knowledge and start exploring more complex chords on the fretboard.
Minor chords are built using major scales, so their notes are identical to an E major chord. What distinguishes minors from majors is a flattened third interval of their scale.
This is the simplest way to play an E minor chord on guitar, though there are other variations available. Try shifting up the neck for a barre chord requiring multiple fingers to hold and strumming the string.
Add the lower open E string for a fuller sound (Example 4a). This will produce an Em major chord with a strong low end that blends nicely with other chords, or play around with different combinations of strings to change its tone and depth.