Em — the E minor guitar chord
E minor is many players’ first chord. Two fingers, all six strings, and a big moody sound that turns up everywhere from folk to metal. The usual casualty is the open G string, muted by a lazy fretting hand. Pick the strings one at a time and make sure each rings.
How to play it
- Index finger on the A string (5th), 2nd fret.
- Middle finger on the D string (4th), 2nd fret.
- Let the open low E string (6th), G string (3rd), B string (2nd) and high E string (1st) ring.
Changes to practice
Holding Em still is the easy part. Songs need you to arrive at it in rhythm, so in Strumhold you practice Em as changes, alongside the rest of the Open Minors set: