The E minor chord on guitar is a really easy chord to get started with as it only requires two fingers. The other thing that makes playing the E minor chord easy, is that you’re free to play all six strings. In fact, you’ll need the sixth string (E) in the bass.
Most new guitar players will instinctively want to use their first and second fingers when playing the E minor chord. However, it’s far easier to achieve a clear chord if you use the second and third fingers instead.
It might feel more uncomfortable to start with, but trust us that eventually it will feel easier!
The chart below shows you where to place your fingers to play an E minor chord:
As you can see, the second finger is placed on the second fret of the fifth string, and the third finger is placed on the second fret of the fourth string. Couldn’t be any easier!
If this is the first chord that you’re learning to play, then you really need to get used to using the very tips of your fingers. It might hurt a little bit to start with, but press down until the notes ring clear. For most new players this requires just a little more pressure than expected, but it will soon start to feel normal.
One other thing to watch our for here is to make sure the open strings ring clear. By using the tips of your fingers, you can make sure that the flats of your fingers are not causing obstructions for other strings, and that the open strings are left to be truly open.
The short video clip below shows how to place and play an E minor chord:
Keep the practice up, and keep going until you get a perfectly clear chord!
