Piano chord · Triads
E minor chord on piano
Right hand: E (1), G (3), B (5)
How to play Em on piano: the keys to press, which fingers to use, inversions and how it’s written on the staff.
Darker and more melancholy than major, but just as stable.
Em is the ii chord in D major, iii in C major and vi in G major. In minor keys: i in E minor and iv in B minor.
- Notes
- EGB
- Formula
- 1♭35
- Built from
- root · minor 3rd · perfect 5th
Piano
Root position · numbers are finger numbers
How to play it
Right handE1 · thumbG3 · middleB5 · pinky
Left handE5 · pinkythe root, an octave lower
Finger numbers: 1 thumb · 2 index · 3 middle · 4 ring · 5 pinky. Inversions use the same notes with a different one on the bottom — they help you move smoothly between chords. Tap any key to hear it.
Tips for playing Em on piano
All white keys: E, G, B.
You’ll find Em in common progressions such as Em–C–G–D (the minor-feel pop progression in G major), Em–Am–B–Em (the minor cadence in E minor) and Em–D–C–B (the Andalusian cadence in E minor).
Learning piano? Em is part of stage 3 (“D minor and E minor”) of our first piano chords path.
