E Minor: Notes, Chords and Scale
E minor is a minor key. Its key signature has one sharp: F♯. Its scale is E, F♯, G, A, B, C, D, and its seven diatonic chords are Em, F♯dim, G, Am, Bm, C, D. Below are the 7th chords, Roman numerals, related keys, the Camelot code and a keyboard diagram.
Key signature
1♯
Relative key
Parallel key
Camelot code
9A
Notes
E F♯ G A B C D
Chords in E minor
- iEmE G B
- ii°F♯dimF♯ A C
- IIIGG B D
- ivAmA C E
- vBmB D F♯
- VICC E G
- VIIDD F♯ A
Seventh chords
- i7Em7E G B D
- iiø7F♯m7♭5F♯ A C E
- IIImaj7Gmaj7G B D F♯
- iv7Am7A C E G
- v7Bm7B D F♯ A
- VImaj7Cmaj7C E G B
- VII7D7D F♯ A C
How to use these chords
- i, iv and v (Em, Am, Bm) are the primary chords. The v chord is often played major, as V (B) or V7 (B7), taken from the harmonic minor scale, which raises D to D♯.
- III, VI and VII (G, C, D) are major chords. They are the I, IV and V chords of the relative major, G major.
- ii° (F♯dim) is a diminished chord and often leads to V.
- Common progressions, in Roman numerals: i VI III VII (Em, C, G, D); i iv V (Em, Am, B); i VII VI V (Em, D, C, B).
Common uses of E minor
- E minor shares its seven notes and its key signature with its relative major, G major.
- On a piano, one of its seven notes is a black key.
- The root note, E, is an open string on a guitar in standard tuning (E A D G B E), so it can ring under the chords.
- On guitar, Em, Am, C, D, G, B7 all have common open position shapes.
- In the Camelot system DJs use for harmonic mixing, E minor is 9A; tracks in 8A, 10A and 9B usually mix smoothly with it.
- Open E minor in the Scale and Chord Finder
- Find your song's key from the audio: Detect Key and BPM
- Camelot Wheel: 9A
- Write chords or MIDI in E minor with MIDI LabMIDI Lab, from the same team as SongTools, writes chord progressions, bass, drums and melody as MIDI from a prompt.
- G major: notes and chords
- All 24 major and minor keys
Questions about E minor
What chords are in E minor?
The seven chords in E minor are Em, F♯dim, G, Am, Bm, C, D (i, ii°, III, iv, v, VI, VII). As seventh chords they are Em7, F♯m7♭5, Gmaj7, Am7, Bm7, Cmaj7, D7.
What notes are in the E minor scale?
E, F♯, G, A, B, C, D. Its key signature has one sharp: F♯.
What is the relative major of E minor?
G major. It uses the same seven notes and key signature as E minor, starting from G. The parallel major, E major, starts on the same note as E minor but has a different key signature.
What is the Camelot code for E minor?
9A. Next to it on the Camelot wheel are 8A and 10A, and 9B is its relative major, G major.