Em Chord on Guitar — The Easiest Chord You

Why Em Is the First Chord Every Guitarist Should Learn

The E minor chord (Em) is the most beginner-friendly chord on guitar. It only uses two fingers, lets all six strings ring open, and sounds full and resonant right from the start. More importantly, it's in hundreds of songs — from folk ballads to metal riffs — so learning it unlocks real music immediately.

If you've just picked up a guitar for the first time, Em is where to start. You'll be making music in under five minutes.

How to Play the Em Chord

Place your fingers like this on the guitar neck:

• Middle finger → 2nd fret, A string (5th string)
• Ring finger → 2nd fret, D string (4th string)
• All other strings (E, G, B, high e) are played open — do not touch them

Strum all six strings from the low E (thickest) to the high e (thinnest). Every string should ring clearly. If anything sounds buzzy or muted, check that your fingertips are pressing firmly just behind the fret (not on top of it), and that your fingers aren't accidentally touching adjacent strings.

What Does Em Sound Like?

E minor sounds dark, melancholic, and powerful — exactly what you'd expect from a minor chord. Unlike major chords, which feel bright and resolved, Em has an emotional weight to it. This is why it appears in so many emotionally resonant songs, from Metallica's "Nothing Else Matters" to Tracy Chapman's "Fast Car."

The Em chord contains three notes: E, G, and B. The open guitar strings naturally include these notes in multiple octaves, which is why the chord sounds so full and resonant when you strum all six strings.

Em vs E Major — What's the Difference?

The difference between Em and E major is a single note: the G string. In E major, your index finger frets the 1st fret of the G string (making it G#). In Em, that string is open (G natural). The G# gives E major its bright, happy sound. The G natural gives Em its characteristic dark, moody feel.

This is a great demonstration of how one note can completely change the emotional quality of a chord.

Songs That Use the Em Chord

Once you know Em, you can start playing parts of these songs:

• Nothing Else Matters — Metallica (opens with a rolling Em arpeggio)
• House of the Rising Sun — The Animals (Em is the first chord in the iconic progression)
• Stairway to Heaven — Led Zeppelin (Em features in the legendary intro)
• Knockin' on Heaven's Door — Bob Dylan (alternates between G, D, and Em)
• Wish You Were Here — Pink Floyd (Em appears in the verse)

Em also appears constantly in combination with G, D, and C — the four chords that power an enormous amount of popular music.

Common Beginner Mistakes with Em

Even though Em is simple, there are a few things that trip people up:

• Accidentally muting the open strings — If your middle or ring finger is angled outward, the palm of your hand might brush the open strings. Keep your wrist slightly forward and your knuckles arched.
• Pressing too hard — Guitar frets are sensitive. You only need enough pressure to make clean contact. Pressing excessively tires your hand and actually makes the pitch sharp.
• Placing fingers on top of frets instead of behind — The fret is the metal bar. Your fingertip should be just behind it (toward the body of the guitar), not on it.

From Em to Your First Song

Now that you have Em down, the logical next step is adding G major and D major. These three chords together form one of the most common chord progressions in popular music: G → D → Em. Add a C chord and you've unlocked the base of thousands of songs.

Use Guitaring's chord library to see finger diagrams for all three chords, then try the practice tool to build smooth transitions. When you're ready, the song play-along section has multiple songs that use Em so you can hear exactly how it fits in context.