Another Useful Chord Combo!

Master Two More Easy Guitar Chords: E Minor and G

Now that you’re getting the hang of the basics and practicing switching between your first chords, it’s time to expand your musical toolkit.

Learning more chords means you can play more songs. In this lesson, we’ll introduce two fundamental and easy guitar chords: E minor (Em) and a simplified G major (G) chord. These are incredibly common and versatile, opening up a whole new world of music.

How to Play the E Minor (Em) Chord

The great news is that E minor is very closely related to the E major chord you might already know.

1. Start with the E major shape (Index finger on the 1st fret of the G string, middle finger on the 2nd fret of the A string, ring finger on the 2nd fret of the D string).
2. Simply lift your index finger off the G string.
3. That’s it! You’re now playing an E minor chord. Your middle finger should be on the 2nd fret of the A string (5th string), and your ring finger should be on the 2nd fret of the D string (4th string).
4. Strum all six strings.

Crucial Tip for a Clear E Minor: While the fingering is simple, technique matters! The most common issue beginners have with Em is accidentally muting the open G string (the 3rd string). To prevent this, you must curl your middle and ring fingers sufficiently, arching them like bridges over the G string so it can ring out clearly. Avoid letting your fingers lie flat.

How to Play the Easy G Chord (Transitioning from Em)

Once you have the E minor shape down, transitioning to our easy G chord involves a simple pivot:

1. Start from the E minor chord shape (Middle finger on 2nd fret A string, ring finger on 2nd fret D string).
2. Keep your middle finger pressed down on the 2nd fret of the A string – this is your anchor point.
3. Lift your ring finger off the D string.
4. Pivot your hand slightly. You might feel your palm rotate outwards a little, and you may need to bring your elbow in slightly towards your body. This pivot happens around your stationary middle finger.
5. Place your ring finger onto the 3rd fret of the low E string (the thickest, 6th string).
6. Strum all six strings. This gives you a simple, functional G major chord.

Make sure to adjust your fretting hand’s thumb position on the back of the neck and your elbow position until the chord feels relatively comfortable and the notes ring clearly.

Practice Switching Between E Minor and G

Knowing the shapes is one thing; switching between them smoothly is the real goal. Here’s how to practice guitar chord transitions:

1. Silent Switching: Without strumming, slowly form the Em chord. Then, deliberately lift, pivot, and place your fingers into the G chord shape. Switch back to Em. Repeat this slowly and silently, focusing only on the physical movements and making them accurate.
2. The Chord Switching Game:
   
   • Start slow: Strum Em once, pause, say “switch,” form the G chord, strum G once, pause, say “switch,” form Em, etc.
   • Increase speed slightly: Strum Em twice (“1, 2”), switch to G, strum G twice (“1, 2”), switch back.
   • Build up: Aim for four downstrokes per chord before switching (Em: “1, 2, 3, 4” | G: “1, 2, 3, 4”).
   • Focus on maintaining a steady rhythm, even if it’s very slow initially. The goal is clean, seamless transitions right on the beat.

(Remember to consult your Crash Course workbook for more detailed exercises on the chord switching game!)

Your Reward: Learn an Oasis Song!

Why learn these specific chords? Because once you master switching between E minor and this easy G chord, you’ll have exactly what you need to play the classic song “Songbird” by Oasis! It’s a fantastic goal for beginner guitar players and shows how quickly you can start making music.