How to Play the Em Chord on the Guitar

The E minor chord, or Em, is one of the essential chords to learn on the guitar. You can play it with only two fingers and it has a wonderfully dark, deep, and moody sound to it.

EditSteps

1. Place your middle finger on the 5th string, second fret. Remember, the 5th string is the the second highest string from the top, or the A string. Place your middle finger just to the left of the second fret (for right-handed guitarists), as near to the fret as possible so that you get a clean, clear tone.
   
   
2. Place your ring finger on the 4th string, second fret. Your ring finger simply goes right underneath your middle, holding the second fret on the D string. This is the third string from the top. Again, keep your finger near that second fret, but still on the head-side of the guitar.
   
   
   • The head of the guitar is the small piece at the end of the neck with the tuning knobs.
3. Leave the other strings open. All an E-minor chord requires are those two strings and two frets. Make sure you use the tips of your fingers on the frets so that you don't accidentally mute the lower strings -- you want them free to ring out.
   
   
4. Strum all the strings at once. The Em chord uses every string on the guitar, so you can strum away freely. However, for a deeper, darker sound, limit yourself to just the top four strings or so. For a lighter sound, like in many ska and reggae songs, just play the bottom 3-4 strings.
   
   
5. Alternatively, remove your index finger from an E major chord to get to the Em instantly. If you already know how to play an E-major chord, you can get to the Em by simply lifting your index finger off the first fret. Your final chord will look like:
   
   
   • --0--
   • --0--
   • --0--
   • --2--
   • --2--
   • --0--^[1]

EditTips

• Practice getting to an from this chord from other chords to incorporate it into new songs.

EditVideo

EditThings You'll Need

• A guitar

EditRelated wikiHows

• Play an A Major Chord on the Guitar
• Play an E Major Chord on a Guitar
• Play "Hey There Delilah" on the Guitar
• Play the Solo from "Eruption" (Eddie Van Halen)

EditSources and Citations

• Videos from GuitarLessons.com

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