[Acoustic Guitar Chords] > How to Play the E Minor Chord (Positioning, Variations, and Exercises)
The Em chord is not only one of the most essential chords for beginners, but it’s also one of the easiest to learn.
It offers a great mix of easy and more difficult variations, so it’s suitable for beginners of many different levels.
In this guide, I’ll work through the essential components of the E minor chord. I’ll break down exactly what the E minor chord is, how to position your fingers, some popular variations, and some exercises to help you nail it.
Ready? Let’s go!
- What Is the E minor Chord?
- Em Chord Finger Positioning
- How to Play the Em Chord on the Guitar
- Standard Em Chord Shape
- Easy Em Chord Shape
- E Minor Alternate Shape
- E Minor 5 String Barre Chord Shape
- Em Chord Exercises
Originally published on January 18th, 2023, this post was updated and republished on March 29th, 2024.
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What Is the E minor Chord?
The E minor chord, also known as the Em chord, consists of the notes E, G, and B. In comparison to the E chord, which is bright and hopeful, it has a slight touch of melancholy to it.
In addition to the C chord, G chord, and D chord, Em is one of the most frequently used chords in music.
You’ll find it in countless popular songs spanning multiple genres – from Nirvana’s “About A Girl” to Neil Young’s “Heart of Gold”.
It’s also part of some great chord progressions, such as the 50s progression.
Em Chord Finger Positioning
As with all chords, understanding Em chord finger placement is crucial to a crisp, clean sound. It’s the difference between a great-sounding chord and a terrible-sounding one.
Here are a couple of things to pay attention to when working through guitar chords:
- Keep a firm thumb. While the rest of your fingers are being kept busy, your thumb should also be doing some work. Gently press it into the back of the guitar neck for added stability.
- Arch your fingers. Make sure you have a rounded arch in your finger joints, rather than keeping them flat on the fretboard. This ensures a clean and crisp sound and avoids accidentally touching any other strings.
- Precision. Ensure your fingers are in the right position and pressed firmly down. If not, you run the risk of unintentionally muting notes or fret buzz.
How to Play the Em Chord on the Guitar
Now that you have some background knowledge on the chord, let’s take a look at how to play it, as well as some additional variations.
I’ll be using chord diagrams to demonstrate this, so if you need a little refresher on chord diagrams, then check out this guide on chord diagrams.
Standard Em Chord Shape
Let’s start off with the standard Em chord, also known as the open variation. Open chords have one or more strings unfretted, as you can see in the below chord diagram.
How to position your fingers for the standard Em chord shape:
- Place your middle finger on the 2nd fret of the A string
- Place your ring finger on the 2nd fret of the D string
- Strum all six strings
And you’ve just played the Em chord!
Easy Em Chord Shape
This next shape is possibly the easiest guitar chord variation that exists.
Why is it so simple? Because as the diagram suggests, there is no fretting required – simply play the first three strings open.
While this version of the Em chord might be somewhat lacking in fullness, it’s a simple way to play the E minor chord. In some cases, it’s even more suitable.
E Minor Alternate Shape
This next variation is a fun twist on the previous two. It adds on an extra note to the standard Em chord shape for added richness and texture.
Here’s how to position your fingers. Place your:
- Index finger on the 2nd fret of the A string
- Middle finger on the 2nd fret of the D string
- Pinky finger on the 3rd fret of the E string
Leave the rest of the strings open and strum all six strings.
E Minor 5 String Barre Chord Shape
Next, we’ll move to a more advanced variation – the barre chord version.
Barre chords are usually more difficult and are more demanding on the index finger as you have to hold down multiple strings across a single fret.
But with a bit of practice, you’ll nail it in no time.
Here’s how to position your fingers:
- Index finger to bar all the strings at the 7th fret
- Middle finger on the 8th fret of the B string
- Ring finger on the 9th fret of the D string
- Place your pinky finger on the 9th fret of the G string
- Mute the E-string
And finally, strum all six strings.
While this might feel weird – especially in comparison to other chords on this list – it will start to feel more comfortable the more you practice it.
Em Chord Exercises
To practice the E minor chord, I always recommend running through the variations as I lay them out in the chord guide.
First, focus on the individual chords until you get the hang of them, and then try switching between the variations.
This exercise not only helps you with muscle memory, but also with drilling the different chord variations into your mind.
Secondly, for real-life guitar playing, it’s important to practice jumping in between chords quickly. This way, you not only learn the difference in the sound of all the chords, but you also practice getting into position quickly.
Once you’ve made your way through a few of my chord guides, you’ll have a decent library of chords to transition between.
Continuing Your Guitar Journey
There are plenty more minor chords for the guitar once you’ve mastered the Em.
If you’re hungry to learn some more chords, then check out a few of my other chord guides:
- E chord
- B7 chord
- Dm chord
And if you feel like you need a new direction in your guitar learning journey, then I’d highly recommend checking out my guitar workshop – Tony’s Acoustic Challenge.
It’s full of guitar tips and exercises that will keep you having fun on your guitar journey regardless of what level you’re at. Watch this FREE guitar class for three secrets to learn guitar faster in just 10 minutes a day.
