Piano chord

E Minor Piano Chord (Em)

The E Minor chord on piano is made of the notes E, G and B. Sad, dark, and melancholic. The second most common chord type.

E Minor chord on a piano keyboard: E, G, B C5C6 E G B

Em E – G – B

Tap any key to hear it.

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What notes are in E Minor?

3 notes, built 1 – ♭3 – 5 up from E.

Notes
E – G – B
Formula
1 – ♭3 – 5
Semitones from the root
0 – 3 – 7
Symbol
Em
Chord type
Minor, 3 notes

How to play E Minor on piano

  • Right hand: E (1), G (3), B (5). Fingers 1 – 3 – 5, thumb on E.
  • Left hand: E (5), G (3), B (1). Fingers 5 – 3 – 1, little finger on E.

Fingers are numbered 1 (thumb) to 5 (little finger) on both hands.

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E Minor inversions

Each inversion puts a different note of the chord in the bass. Written as a slash chord: Em/G, Em/B.

E Minor root position on piano: E, G, B E G B
Root position Em E – G – B RH 1 – 3 – 5 · LH 5 – 3 – 1
E Minor 1st inversion on piano: G, B, E G B E
1st inversion Em/G G – B – E RH 1 – 2 – 5 · LH 5 – 3 – 1
E Minor 2nd inversion on piano: B, E, G B E G
2nd inversion Em/B B – E – G RH 1 – 3 – 5 · LH 5 – 2 – 1

Progressions with E Minor

Press play: the chords move across the keyboard as they sound, voiced so your hand barely moves.

Sad pop progression

in G major

  1. vi Em
  2. IV C
  3. I G
  4. V D
Sad pop progression in G major: Em, C, G, D B E G

ii–V–I

in D major

  1. ii Em
  2. V7 A7
  3. Imaj7 Dmaj7
ii–V–I in D major: Em, A7, Dmaj7 B E G

Can you find E Minor?

Tap the notes on the keyboard, then check. Six chords, starting with this one.

1 / 6 Tap the notes of E Minor (Em)

Score 0

Any octave, any order. Each key you tap plays.

Practice keyboard: tap the notes of the chord

What key is E Minor in?

The keys whose scale contains every note of Em, with the chord’s Roman numeral in each.

Major keys

  • D majorii
  • C majoriii
  • G majorvi

Minor keys

  • E minori
  • B minoriv
  • A minorv

E Minor chord FAQ

What notes are in the E Minor chord?

E Minor (Em) has 3 notes: E, G and B. Its formula is 1 – ♭3 – 5, counted up from E.

How do you play E Minor on the piano?

Put your right thumb on E and play E, G and B with fingers 1 – 3 – 5. With the left hand, use fingers 5 – 3 – 1, little finger on E.

What are the inversions of E Minor?

1st inversion: G, B, E (Em/G). 2nd inversion: B, E, G (Em/B).

What key is E Minor in?

Em belongs to D major (ii), C major (iii), G major (vi), E minor (i), B minor (iv) and A minor (v).

Other E chords

Minor chords on every root

Piano chord chart: all 264 chords Open Em in the chord finder Free PDF chord chart Play it on the virtual piano