Em piano chord — the keys, the inversions, the theory

Em is a minor chord built from E, G, B. Below: the keys to press, every inversion with its own diagram, the intervals it is made of, the keys whose scale contains it, and a progression that actually uses it. Press any diagram to hear it.

Em

E · G · B

Piano keyboardC4C5

Semitones above the root: 0 – 3 – 7

The third is minor — one semitone lower than in a major chord — which is where the darker colour comes from.

Inversions of Em

  • Root position

    E · G · B · bass E

  • Inversion 1

    G · B · E · bass G

  • Inversion 2

    B · E · G · bass B

Same chord, different note at the bottom. Press a diagram to hear it — inversions are how you move between chords without jumping your hand across the keyboard.

Keys that contain Em

  • Ciii
  • Gvi
  • Dii

In G it does this job: I – V – vi – IV

  1. G
  2. D
  3. Em
  4. C

Questions