Em: E Minor Piano Chord

Root position: either hand, fingers low note to high
Hand	Notes	Fingers
Right	E, G, B	1-3-5
Left	E, G, B	5-3-1

Scale degree, note, and interval measured from the root.
Degree	Note	Interval from root	Semitones
1	E	Perfect unison	0
♭3	G	Minor third	3
5	B	Perfect fifth	7

Construction

E Minor = Root + Minor 3rd + Perfect 5th = E, G, B

Note	Interval	Degree
E	Root	1
G	Minor 3rd	♭3
B	Perfect 5th	5

Fingering

Note	Key color	Right hand	Left hand
E	white	thumb (1)	little finger (5)
G	white	middle finger (3)	middle finger (3)
B	white	little finger (5)	thumb (1)

Right hand: thumb (1) on E, middle finger (3) on G, little finger (5) on B.

Left hand: little finger (5) on E, middle finger (3) on G, thumb (1) on B.

E Minor Inversions

Root position
E – G – B
1st inversion (Em/G)
G – B – E
2nd inversion (Em/B)
B – E – G

Key Signature

A chord has no key signature of its own, but the E Minor is the tonic (i) chord of E Minor, which shares the signature of its relative major, G Major: 1 sharp (F♯).

F♯

Order of sharps

Sharps are added to a key signature in a fixed order. Each new sharp key adds the next sharp on the list.

F♯C♯G♯D♯A♯E♯B♯

Mnemonic: Father Charles Goes Down And Ends Battle

Chords in the Key of E Minor

These are the triads built on each degree of E Minor:

i — E Minor (minor)

Degree	Numeral	Chord	Quality
1	i	E Minor	Minor
2	ii°	F♯ Diminished	Diminished
3	III	G Major	Major
4	iv	A Minor	Minor
5	v	B Minor	Minor
6	VI	C Major	Major
7	VII	D Major	Major

How E Minor functions in a key

The same chord takes on a different harmonic role depending on the key it appears in. Here is where E Minor sits diatonically across the common keys:

In G major, E Minor is the vi chord — the tonic.
In E minor, E Minor is the i chord — the tonic.
In D major, E Minor is the ii chord — a predominant.
In B minor, E Minor is the iv chord — a predominant.
In C major, E Minor is the iii chord — a mediant / color chord.
In A minor, E Minor is the v chord.

Scales That Include the E Minor

C Major (iii)
G Major (vi)
D Major (ii)
A Minor (v)
E Minor (i)
B Minor (iv)
D Dorian (ii)
E Phrygian (i)

E Minor : Frequently Asked Questions

What is the E Minor chord on piano?

The E Minor chord contains the notes E – G – B. On piano, play these notes together to sound the chord.

What notes make up the E Minor chord?

E Minor contains three notes: E (root), G (minor third), and B (perfect fifth). All three are white keys, making E Minor one of the most accessible minor chords on the piano.

What fingering do I use for E Minor?

Right hand: finger 1 on E, finger 3 on G, finger 5 on B. Left hand: finger 5 on E, finger 3 on G, finger 1 on B. Like D Minor, the all-white-key layout is comfortable and symmetrical.

What are the inversions of E Minor?

First inversion (Em/G): G–B–E. Second inversion (Em/B): B–E–G. Em/G is common in pop and rock, it creates a smooth bass movement from G to E, often heard in descending bass line progressions.

What songs use the E Minor chord?

E Minor is ubiquitous in rock and folk. It appears in House of the Rising Sun (Animals), Nothing Else Matters (Metallica), and as the vi chord in G Major: meaning it appears in virtually every G Major song including Let It Be and Country Roads.

What chords pair well with E Minor?

In E Minor: C Major (VI), G Major (III), D Major (VII), B Major (V). Em–C–G–D is one of the most used four-chord sequences in rock. Em–Am–D–G is another classic minor-to-major movement. Em also pairs naturally with Am as the vi and ii chords in G Major.

What is the relationship between E Minor and G Major?

E Minor is the relative minor of G Major: both share the same key signature (one sharp, F#). This means every chord in G Major has a corresponding role in E Minor: G Major becomes the III chord, C Major becomes VI, D Major becomes VII, and Em itself is the tonic (I) chord.

E Minor in detail

Exact

Every pitch class is present and nothing outside the chord is added.

Type	Notes	Semitones	Span	Omissions and additions	Set relation
Close, root position	E3 G3 B3	7	96 mm	none	identical
Close, first inversion	G3 B3 E4	9	124 mm	none	identical
Close, second inversion	B3 E4 G4	8	110 mm	none	identical
Open, fifth on top	E2 B2 G3	15	206 mm	none	identical

Reduced

A subset of the pitch classes: the identity is incomplete rather than altered.

Type	Notes	Semitones	Span	Omissions and additions	Set relation	Fit
Root and third only	E3 G3	3	41 mm	omits B	subset

Spans are measured centre to centre at a 165 mm octave (standard keyboard geometry).

Position	Bass note	Notes in order	Figured bass	Semitones	Span
Root position	E	E3, G3, B3	5/3	7	96 mm
First inversion: Em/G	G	G3, B3, E4	6/3	9	124 mm
Second inversion: Em/B	B	B3, E4, G4	6/4	8	110 mm

One position per chord tone in the bass. Spans are for close position: voiced inversions appear under Voicings.

Progression	Key	Role	Sequence	Voice leading
iii, vi, ii, V	C major	iii	Em to Am to Dm to G	Em opens the phrase
I, iii	C major	iii	C to Em	2 tones held from C
ii, V, I	D major	ii	Em to A to D	Em opens the phrase
ii°, v, i	E minor	i	F♯dim to Bm to Em	1 tone held from Bm
iv, i	E minor	i	Am to Em	1 tone held from Am
i, ♭VI, ii°, v	E minor	i	Em to C to F♯dim to Bm	Em opens the phrase
vi, IV, I, V	G major	vi	Em to C to G to D	Em opens the phrase
I, vi	G major	vi	G to Em	2 tones held from G

Root motion, common tones and voice displacement are computed from pitch class sets. Roman numerals follow common practice functional harmony.

Which keys it belongs to

Key	Roman numeral	Function
C major	iii	Tonic substitute
D major	ii	Predominant
E minor	i	Tonic, home
G major	vi	Tonic substitute
A minor	v	Minor dominant
B minor	iv	Subdominant

Classification system: common-practice functional harmony.

Change one note

Chords a single note away, and what moving that note does.

Chord	Change	Formula	Common tones
Em7	adds D	1 ♭3 5 ♭7	3
EmMaj7	adds D♯	1 ♭3 5 7	3
Em6	adds C♯	1 ♭3 5 6	3
E	G becomes G♯	1 3 5	2
Edim	B becomes B♭	1 ♭3 ♭5	2
Esus2	G becomes F♯	1 2 5	2
Esus4	G becomes A	1 4 5	2
Emaj7	G becomes G♯, D♯	1 3 5 7	2
E7	G becomes G♯, D	1 3 5 ♭7	2
Em7♭5	B becomes B♭, D	1 ♭3 ♭5 ♭7	2
Edim7	B becomes B♭, D♭	1 ♭3 ♭5 ♭♭7	2
E7sus4	G becomes A, D	1 4 5 ♭7	2

Frequencies

Note	MIDI	Frequency
E3	52	164.81 Hz
G3	55	196.00 Hz
B3	59	246.94 Hz

Reference pitch A440, 12-TET, close root position.

Set theory: prime form, Forte number, interval vector

Absolute pitch class set: {4, 7, 11}
Normal order: [4, 7, 11]
Prime form: (037)
Forte number: 3-11
Interval vector: <001110>

Pair	Interval	Semitones	Interval class
E to G	Minor third	3	3
E to B	Perfect fifth	7	5
G to B	Major third	4	4

Where these facts come from

Every value on this page is derived from the note formula for a minor applied to the root E, using standard music theory. Nothing here is hand-entered per chord, so the notes, intervals, inversions and frequencies cannot drift out of agreement with each other. Pitches assume 12-TET at A440.

E Minor

Fingerings

E Minor: notes and degrees