E minor chord
Em
- ER
- G♭3
- B5
Open
What each note does
- E is the root. It names the chord and is the note your ear hears as home.
- G is the minor third, a half step below the major third (G♯). That one note is the whole difference between sad and happy.
- B is the fifth. It adds weight without changing the character, so it is the first note to drop when a voicing gets crowded.
More voicings
Barre · Am shape · 7th fret
Triad · top 3 strings · 12th fret
Triad · middle strings · 4th fret
Progressions that use Em
- Open in builder →
I–V–vi–IV · G major · Pop
GDEmC
- Open in builder →
I–vi–IV–V · G major · 50s
GEmCD
- Open in builder →
I–V–vi–iii–IV–I–IV–V · C major · Canon
CGAmEmFCFG