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E minor

E minor has 1 sharp (F♯). Its scale is E F♯ G A B C D, its chords are Em, F♯dim, G, Am, Bm, C and D, and its relative major is G major.

Make a beat in E minorWrite a melody in this key

Opens the free editor with a trap beat on Em C G D. No account needed to start.

The E minor scale

Whole, half, whole, whole, half, whole, whole: the half steps come between F♯ and G, and between B and C.

E F♯ G A B C D E

EGABCDEF♯

On the piano, E minor uses 1 black key (F♯) and 6 white keys (E, G, A, B, C and D).

The notes of E minor by scale degree
DegreeNoteName
1ETonic
2F♯Supertonic
3GMediant
4ASubdominant
5BDominant
6CSubmediant
7DSubtonic

The raised seventh

Many songs in E minor raise D to D♯. That makes the harmonic minor scale, E F♯ G A B C D♯, and turns the fifth chord from Bm into B major, which pulls hard back to Em. The editor’s minor progressions play the fifth chord that way.

Chords in E minor

One chord on each note of the scale, built from the scale’s own notes. The Roman numeral says which note it starts on: capitals are major, small letters minor.

iEm
ii°F♯dim
IIIG
ivAm
vBm
VIC
VIID

Which chords sound happy or sad

Dark

Em Am Bm

i, iv, v. The minor chords. Em is home, and the key’s sad colour.

Lifting

G C D

III, VI, VII. The major chords, which bring light into a minor song.

Tense

F♯dim

ii°. Diminished: tense and unstable, so most minor songs use it only in passing.

A progression in E minor

The epic minor · i–VI–III–VII
Em
C
G
D
Hear it as

More progressions in E minor

Key signature and related keys

Key signature

1 sharp: F♯

Written at the start of every line of music, so each F is played sharp. Sharps join in the order F C G D A E B, and flats in the order B E A D G C F.

Relative major

G major

The same seven notes and key signature, starting on G.

Parallel major

E major

The same home note, with 4 sharps. Borrowing a chord from it makes a part sound brighter.

Next to it on the circle of fifths

  • A fifth down: A minor (no sharps or flats)
  • A fifth up: B minor (2 sharps)

Keys next to each other share six of their seven notes. See them all on the circle of fifths.

E minor in beats

The editor’s starter beats for these styles are written in E minor. Each opens the free editor with its own drums, bass and chords at its usual tempo, no account needed.

Baile funk · 130 BPMBrazilian phonk · 130 BPMBreakcore · 180 BPMFuture house · 126 BPMJersey drill · 142 BPMLatin trap · 140 BPMMetal · 160 BPMMiami bass · 132 BPM

And 3 more of the editor’s styles start in E minor.

Questions about E minor

How many sharps are in E minor?

One: F♯. Every F is played sharp, so the key signature has 1 sharp, and G major, its relative major, has the same.

What is the relative major of E minor?

G major. It uses the same seven notes and the same key signature as E minor, but starts on G, the third note of the scale. The two share every chord, which is why songs move between them so easily.

What chords are in E minor?

Em, F♯dim, G, Am, Bm, C and D: one built on each note of the scale (i, ii°, III, iv, v, VI, VII). Many songs play the fifth chord as B major instead of Bm: its D♯ pulls hard back to Em.

What is a common chord progression in E minor?

i–VI–III–VII: Em, C, G and D. It is the minor key’s best-known loop, heard in anthems, EDM and film, and it is the one the beat on this page plays.

Every key

Major keys
C majorG majorD majorA majorE majorB majorF♯ majorD♭ majorA♭ majorE♭ majorB♭ majorF major
Minor keys
A minorE minorB minorF♯ minorC♯ minorG♯ minorD♯ minorB♭ minorF minorC minorG minorD minor

Build a song in E minor

Start with the beat, then add chords, a melody and your voice in the editor, part by part.

Make a beat in E minorAll music keys

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