How to Play the E and Em Chords

Hey, guys. It’s Aaron from freeandeasyguitar.com and I hope you guys have been enjoying the lesson so far. In this video, I want to teach you two more chords. These chords are going to be ones you’re going to use a lot and they are the E chord and the E minor chord. The really cool thing about this is the difference in the two chords is picking up on the finger. So, what I want you to do is I want you to take your middle finger. I want you to stick it on the second fret of your—not your top string or your thickest but the next one down. So for numbering one, two, three, four, five, that’s your fifth string from bottom going up to this string and it’s also the note, your A note. So this string is an A open. You can take your middle finger and you’re going to put it on one second step up to your second fret. And then you’re going to take your middle finger and stick it right down behind it on the second fret of your four string one, two, three, four, it’s your D string. Now, you’re going to take your pointer finger and you’re going to stick it on the string below that which is your third string, it’s your G string. Take your pointer finger and stick it on the first fret. So now you have that, when you strum all six strings, that’s your E chord. Go by and practice this chord and all the other chords as to make the chord, take your fingers off and it go right back to it. Now when you first start, you’re going to have to do one string at a time, one fret at a time. So you say, “Okay, from my E chord, my middle finger goes on the second fret of my fifth string then on my fourth string, my ring finger goes on the second fret and then on my third string which is my G-string, my pointer finger goes in that first fret. Remember, we’re right above the fret, just like you’re stepping up a ladder, just as close as you can get it and we play the note. It’s going to ring out clear so that’s your E chord. You’re going to have to practice it and take it off put it back on and try it. So once you get your E chord, this is what the note should sound like by themselves. Remember, keeping your target tune is the most important thing in learning to play guitar. You want to sound good so it will keep motivating you and you can se your improvements. So guitar is in tune, you got to play it. [Demonstration] That’s what your E string should sound like. Your fifth string or your A should sound like this. [Demonstration] Your D string which is your fourth string, it should sound like this. [Demonstration] Your third string which is your G string should sound like this. [Demonstration] Your second string which is your B should sound like this. [Demonstration] And your high E should sound like this. [Demonstration] Okay, so practice that. [Demonstration] That’s your E chord. Now that you’ve mastered the E chord, if you haven’t yet, just pause it practice it but this is going to be really easy. The way you can do your E minor chord is you keep the same position but you see this pointer finger and just lift it up leave this two here. [Demonstration] That’s your E minor chord, so your E chord. [Demonstration] Take your pointer finger and lift it up E minor. [Demonstration] This is really your first introduction into the difference between major chords and minor chords. There’s a lots of different versions. There is major chords, there is minor, there is suspended, there is minor seventh, all kinds of different chords but major and minor are the two names you’re going to run into the most. So E major. [Demonstration] And E minor. [Demonstration] The main difference between a lot of these is you’ll hear it a major chord sounds, I don’t want to say bright but it sounds kind of happy, alright. [Demonstration] Its sounds kind of like a happy chord, picture a smile and everything, alright. [Demonstration] And then you got your minor chord which you take the pointer finger off and it sounds like a sad chord kind of dark and gloomy. So, this is kind of one of the basic difference between the major chord because the major is happy, minor is kind of unhappy, dark and gloomy something like that. That’s really all for right now you need to know about major and minor chords. For those two, so that’s your E major chord. [Demonstration] And your E minor chord. [Demonstration] Okay, so practice those to get familiar with taking your hands off, put them back up. [Demonstration] Take your fingers off and put them back on. And it’s a good way, so those are two more chords. Remember, if you have any questions you can always send me an email at questiona@freeandeasyguitar.com or check out the forums. There are thousand of people on there that are ready to answer you guys some questions and help you out. So as always, remember freeandeasyguitar.com and if you have anyone of your friends who are trying to learn the guitar, hook them up. Alright, take care, guys.