How to play Em (E Minor) on Piano
Diagram, notes, and audio for the Em chord on piano. Free in your browser.
About Em on piano
E minor on piano is E, G, and B — three white keys. Thumb on E, middle finger on G, pinky on B. Em is the parallel minor of E major, swapping G# for G natural; on piano this lifts the middle finger off the black key and onto the white key directly to its left. Because all three notes are white, Em is one of the easiest chords for beginners on piano.
E minor is the i chord in E minor (one sharp: F#) and the vi chord in G major. The relative-major relationship between Em and G is the most common in beginner piano repertoire because both keys share the same accidental and most beginner books drift naturally between them. Famous piano songs in or around E minor include parts of Adele's Hello, Coldplay's Clocks, and Jon Schmidt's Love Story.
Em pairs naturally with G, C, D, and Am — the diatonic chords of G major. The progression Em-C-G-D (vi-IV-I-V) is the most-used four-chord pop pattern of the last 25 years, and it sits comfortably under one piano hand. Practising the four-chord pattern in close position with smooth voice leading is one of the highest-leverage skills a beginner pianist can develop.
Frequently asked questions
- Is E minor an easy piano chord?
- Yes. All three notes — E, G, B — are white keys, and the shape is identical to C major moved up two white keys.
- What's the difference between E minor and E major?
- E major has G# (a black key) as its third; E minor has G natural. Slide the middle finger one key to the left to flip from major to minor.
- How do I move smoothly from Em to G on piano?
- Hold the G in your middle finger; the chord literally shares a note. Move E down to D and B up to D — wait, in 1st-inversion G (G-B-D) you barely move. Em (E-G-B) → G (G-B-D) shifts the bass up one note and the top up one note, with the middle held.
Switch instruments
See Em on a different instrument — same chord, new diagram.