E minor chordson the mandolin

Main chords: Em (i), D (♭VII), C (♭VI)

The scale: E F♯ G A B C D

Drones: Open G and E ring in E minor; D and A fit the key too. The courses are G D A E, low to high.

Print it: E minor on one page (PDF), or the session pack: the chord chart and a page for each session key.

Common progressions

• i – ♭VII – ♭VI – ♭VII: Em – D – C – D
• i – ♭VI – ♭VII – i: Em – C – D – Em
• i – iv – ♭VII – i: Em – Am – D – Em (with the minor iv)

Basis: The Chiff & Fipple forum and common session practice: aeolian tunes lean on ♭VI and ♭VII (Em-D-C, Bm-G-A).

The seven chords in E minor

1. i Em0 2 2 0
2. ii° F♯dim2 4 3 2
3. ♭III G0 0 2 3
4. iv Am2 2 3 0
5. v Bm4 0 2 2
6. ♭VI C0 2 3 0
7. ♭VII D2 0 0 2

Other modes on E

Other minor keys

E minor in other tunings

All Mandolin GDAE chords · E minor sheet (PDF) · Printable chart (PDF) · The app