What chords are in the key of E Minor?

The key of E Minor uses Em, G, Am, Bm, C, D. Those six cover almost every song written in E Minor; the seventh, a diminished chord on the leading note, turns up far more rarely.

How many sharps or flats does E Minor have?

E Minor has 1 sharp in its key signature.

What is the relative major of E Minor?

G Major — it shares the same notes and the same key signature as E Minor, just centred on a different home chord. Songs slip between the two all the time.

What capo position is best for E Minor?

None needed. E Minor already falls under easy open shapes, so you can play it straight through with no capo.

Chords in the Key of E Minor

E Minor is built from Em, G, Am, Bm, C, D and carries 1 sharp in its key signature. It sits comfortably under open chords, so no capo is needed.

The 6 chords of E Minor

Tap any diagram for a full fingering guide for that chord.

Chord numbers and numerals

Roman numerals are how theory writes a key; Nashville numbers are how session players call one on stage. Both say the same thing — the chord's position in the key, independent of which key you end up in.

Numeral	Nashville	Chord in E Minor	Role
i	1m	Em	Home chord (tonic)
III	3	G	Relative major — bright lift
iv	4m	Am	Subdominant
v	5m	Bm	Pulls home
VI	6	C	Warm resolution
VII	7	D	Rock cadence

More on this in the Nashville number system guide.

Common progressions in E Minor

The same handful of progressions carry most of popular music. Here they are written out in this key.

The minor pop loop

i – VI – III – VII

The minor-key equivalent of the four-chord song — moody but never gloomy.

Em→C→G→D

The minor three-chord

i – iv – v

Plain and folk-like. Raising the v to a major V adds a much stronger pull home.

Em→Am→Bm

The Andalusian-flavoured vamp

i – VII – VI – VII

A rocking, cyclical feel that never fully resolves — good for verses and jams.

Em→D→C→D

The lift

i – VI – VII

Climbs out of the minor tonic and back again; common in choruses and film cues.

Em→C→D

Playing E Minor on guitar

How hard this key is has nothing to do with the music and everything to do with where the notes fall on the neck.

E Minor is one of the guitar-friendly keys. Its chords land on open shapes, which is why so many songs get written in it — the instrument nudges you there.

Its relative major is G Major — same notes, same key signature, different centre of gravity. The parallel key, E Major, keeps the same home note but flips the mood; borrowing a chord from it is one of the oldest tricks for making a chorus land.

Move a song into or out of E Minor

If E Minor does not fit the singer, these pages show exactly which chord becomes which.

Frequently asked questions

What chords are in the key of E Minor?: The key of E Minor uses Em, G, Am, Bm, C, D. Those six cover almost every song written in E Minor; the seventh, a diminished chord on the leading note, turns up far more rarely.
How many sharps or flats does E Minor have?: E Minor has 1 sharp in its key signature.
What is the relative major of E Minor?: G Major — it shares the same notes and the same key signature as E Minor, just centred on a different home chord. Songs slip between the two all the time.
What capo position is best for E Minor?: None needed. E Minor already falls under easy open shapes, so you can play it straight through with no capo.

Have a chart in E Minor?

Upload the PDF or a photo and move every chord to whatever key you need — the layout stays exactly as printed, capo banner included.

Transpose a chart Capo for E Minor