Em

E1G♭3B5

The major triad with its third lowered by a half step.

on guitar on piano the scale

Every fingering that fits a hand

Fig. 2

x432

easy

Fig. 3

9777

hard

Fig. 4

977x

easy

Fig. 5

977a

hard

Fig. 6

9bca

hard

What is true of it

Em is E, G and B — 1, b3 and 5 counted from E.

On an instrument that cannot reach all 3, the 5 goes first, in that order.

The easiest of the 5 fingerings below is x432: 3 fingers, held at the 2nd fret.

None of them uses an open string, so this chord moves up the neck unchanged — the same shape 1 fret higher is the chord a semitone above.

1 string stays silent.

Where its notes are on the neck

Fig. 7 — first 12 frets

The brass dots are E, the root. Everything else is a chord tone with its degree printed in it.

With a different note underneath

first inversion

Em/G

0402

second inversion

Em/B

4707

An inversion is the same chord with a different note lowest. The name changes to a slash name because the bass is what a listener hears as the foundation.

E in other shapes

Emajor Edimdiminished Eaugaugmented E5power chord Esus2suspended second Esus4suspended fourth

Cm C♯m D♭m Dm D♯m E♭m Fm F♯m all 374