How to play Em (E Minor) on Bass
Diagram, notes, and audio for the Em chord on bass. Free in your browser.
About Em on bass
E minor on bass uses the open low E string for the root and the 2nd fret of the A string for the fifth (B). Like E major, the chord requires no fretting for the root, making it the easiest minor chord on the instrument. The notes are E, G, B; the major-vs-minor distinction matters only when the bass plays the third (G# for major, G for minor).
Em is the i chord in E minor (one sharp: F#) and the vi in G major. On bass, Em is one of the most-played minor chords because so many rock and pop songs sit in either E minor or G major. The chord's deep, sustaining bottom — open low E — gives Em-rooted songs an instant cinematic weight that bassists exploit constantly in metal, hard rock, and film scoring.
A typical Em bass line walks through E-G-A-B (the i, III, IV, V of E natural minor) using the open low E and the first three frets of the A string. This four-note pattern is the bedrock of countless rock songs and the foundation of Em pentatonic playing. Practising it in different rhythms is one of the highest-leverage early bass exercises.
Frequently asked questions
- Is E minor easy on bass?
- Yes — the open low E provides the root, and the fifth (B) is on the 2nd fret of the A string. No fretting required for the root note.
- Where is G on the bass guitar?
- The lowest G is on the 3rd fret of the E string — also the third of an Em chord. The open G string and the 5th fret of the D string offer the same note an octave up.
- What chords pair with Em on bass?
- G (relative major), C (VI), D (VII), Am (iv) — together they cover the natural-minor and relative-major palettes of E minor.
Switch instruments
See Em on a different instrument — same chord, new diagram.