Chords in the Key of E Minor
In this lesson we’re going to dive into the E minor chord scale, which is simply the chords that are found in the key of E minor. We’ll take a look at how they’re formed, methods for practicing the chord scale, and some sample chord progressions. Let’s get started.
Minor Scale Chord Qualities
Both major and minor scales have a set pattern of chord qualities that correspond to each degree of the scale that result from building triads with the notes of the scale. For minor scales, the pattern is as follows:
| Scale Degree | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chord Quality | Minor | Diminished | Major | Minor | Minor | Major | Major |
As you can see, we get three major chords, three minor chords, and one diminished chord. These chords are built by stacking thirds starting from each note of the scale and the distance (semitones) between the notes of the chord determine the chord quality.
For a full breakdown of how these chord qualities come to be, see How to Build Minor Scale Chords.
Chords in the Key of E Minor
To get the chords for the key of E minor, we take the chord quality sequence for the minor scale and apply it to the notes of the E minor scale. The E minor scale contains the following notes:
E – F# – G – A – B – C – D
| Scale Degree | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Note | E | F# | G | A | B | C | D |
Applying the minor scale chord sequence to these notes will give us the following chords for the key of E minor, or the E minor chord scale.
| Degree | i | ii° | III | iv | v | VI | VII |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chord | Em | F#dim | G | Am | Bm | C | D |
| Notes | E-G-B | F#-A-C | G-B-D | A-C-E | B-D-F# | C-E-G | D-F#-A |
Note the use of Roman numerals. They are often used to represent the scale degree and chord quality. Upper case Roman numerals represent major chords while lower case represents minor. The degree symbol next to the lower case numeral indicates diminished.
- Minor Chords: Em (i), Am (iv), Bm (v)
- Major Chords: G (III), C (VI), D (VII)
- Diminished Chord: F#dim (ii°)
Chord Diagrams
Below we have the chord diagrams for each chord in the key of E minor, based on the shapes of the CAGED system.
E Minor Chord
F# Diminished Chord
G Major Chord
A Minor Chord
B Minor Chord
C Major Chord
D Major Chord
Applying the Chords of E Minor to the Fretboard
For chord scales, I like to practice them a couple of different ways. I play through them just as I would the scale, starting with the first chord and progressing to the last chord. I do this in two ways: horizontally up the fretboard and positionally based on the CAGED system.
Horizontal Chord Scale
Starting with the open E minor chord, we can ascend the fretboard and play the chord for each note of the scale.
Playing them up the neck like this gives us the following chords:
For complete practice, apply horizontal movement through the scale for chords with the root on the 5th and 4th strings as well.
Positional Chord Scale
We can also play the chords positionally starting with E minor in each of the five CAGED shapes. For example, let’s start with open E minor and play each chord from the same position rather than climbing up the fretboard.
When we play them positionally, we get the following chord forms:
We can apply this concept using each of the 5 CAGED shapes of the E minor chord as the starting point. See the Guitar Number System and Chord Progressions by Position lessons for more on this application.
Chord Progressions in the Key of E Minor
Below are some chord progressions you might see in the key of E minor. These progressions are diatonic, which means they only use chords from the E minor scale and don’t include any borrowed chords or substitutions.
- i – iv – v (Em – Am – Bm)
- i – VII – iv (Em – D – Am)
- i – III – VII – VI (Em – G – D – C)
Wrap Up
In this lesson we took a look at the E minor chord scale, which is made up of the chords in the key of E minor. These chords are built by stacking thirds using each note of the scale. The resulting chords can be used to compose chord progressions in the key of E minor.
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