Chord 7 min·absolute beginner
The Em Chord — Your First Two-Finger Win
E minor uses two fingers and four open strings. It’s the easiest full chord on the guitar — and it appears in tens of thousands of songs.
Em — fingers 2 and 3 on the 5th and 4th strings, fret 2.
Place fingers 2 and 3 at fret 2 of strings 5 and 4. Strum all six strings.
Sounds clean?
Curl your fingers more so the tips press the string and the pads don’t mute neighbors. Pick each string one at a time — if any rings dead, adjust that finger.
Drill (3 minutes)
- Strum slowly — 4 down-strums, then 4 up-strums. Listen for buzz.
- Lift fingers, replace, strum. Repeat 10×.
- Tap your foot at 60 BPM and strum on each tap.
Self-check
Did you complete the drill above and feel confident with this lesson?
Sources & attribution
- Wikibooks · Guitar / Chords · CC BY-SA 4.0
Lesson copy © Free Chord Book. Content adapted from sources marked CC BY-SA 4.0 is itself shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.