What notes are in an E minor chord?

E minor contains three notes: E (the root), G (the minor third), and B (the perfect fifth).

How do you play an E minor chord on guitar?

Possibly the easiest chord on guitar: middle finger on the 2nd fret of the 5th string (B), ring finger on the 2nd fret of the 4th string (E — an octave higher). Strum all six strings; the open 6th, 3rd, 2nd, and 1st rings out as E, G, B, and E.

How is E minor different from E major?

Only the third changes. E minor uses G; E major uses G♯. The root (E) and fifth (B) are the same. On guitar, the difference is one fingertip: lift the 1st-fret finger off the 3rd string, and E major becomes E minor.

Why is E minor so common in rock and metal?

Because the lowest open string on a guitar is E, and E minor sits naturally there with no barre needed. Drop-D and drop-C tunings push that further — the lowest string becomes the root note, letting one-finger power chords drive entire songs. The genre's preference for minor keys for emotional weight closes the loop.

E minor chord — notes, intervals, and practice

E minor is the most-used minor chord on guitar by a wide margin. The lowest open string of a guitar is E, and the easy open chords E minor, G major, D major, and C major all sit comfortably in this key — which is why so much singer-songwriter, folk, metal, and modal rock lives in E minor. The chord contains E, G, and B; G and E are open strings on a guitar, so E minor rings sympathetically.

Intervals

The E minor chord stacks two thirds on the root. Each interval and its size in semitones:

E→Gminor 3rd3 semitones
G→Bmajor 3rd4 semitones
E→Bperfect 5th7 semitones

On the keyboard

Each note of the E minor chord highlighted on a piano. Pitch class is what matters — any octave works.

On the guitar

One voicing of the E minor chord on a six-string guitar fretboard.

Common mistakes

E minor's third is G natural, not G♯. The key signature of E minor matches G major (one sharp: F♯) — but the chord itself uses no sharps. Beginners drilling E minor sometimes confuse it with E major (which has G♯ as its third); on guitar the difference is whether you press the 1st fret of the 3rd string or leave it open. Open = E minor (G natural). Pressed = E major (G♯). The fact that "E minor is easier on guitar" comes from the lifted finger, not from any extra knowledge.

In context

E minor is the i chord in E minor, the vi chord in G major, the iii in C major, and the ii in D major. The Em–C–G–D progression is one of the most ubiquitous in modern pop and rock, and dropped-D / drop-tuned riffs in heavy music constantly orbit E minor. The harmonic-minor V → i cadence is B major → E minor (with the borrowed D♯).

Drill it

The E minor chord is one of 48 in the Chord Trainer. Open the full trainer to practice it alongside related chords with timing and best-time tracking.

Open the Chord Trainer →Or try today's Etudle puzzle

Frequently asked

What notes are in an E minor chord?: E minor contains three notes: E (the root), G (the minor third), and B (the perfect fifth).
How do you play an E minor chord on guitar?: Possibly the easiest chord on guitar: middle finger on the 2nd fret of the 5th string (B), ring finger on the 2nd fret of the 4th string (E — an octave higher). Strum all six strings; the open 6th, 3rd, 2nd, and 1st rings out as E, G, B, and E.
How is E minor different from E major?: Only the third changes. E minor uses G; E major uses G♯. The root (E) and fifth (B) are the same. On guitar, the difference is one fingertip: lift the 1st-fret finger off the 3rd string, and E major becomes E minor.
Why is E minor so common in rock and metal?: Because the lowest open string on a guitar is E, and E minor sits naturally there with no barre needed. Drop-D and drop-C tunings push that further — the lowest string becomes the root note, letting one-finger power chords drive entire songs. The genre's preference for minor keys for emotional weight closes the loop.