Em to Am chord change
Your middle finger and ring finger move across to another string on the same fret; your index finger goes down fresh. Your strumming hand changes too: Em uses all six strings, Am starts on the A string.
Numbers are fingers: 1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring, 4 little finger. o means play the string open, ✕ means don’t play it.
Finger by finger
- Goes downIndex finger (1) goes down on the B string, 1st fret.
- Moves across, same fretMiddle finger (2) moves across from the A string to the D string, staying on the 2nd fret.
- Moves across, same fretRing finger (3) moves across from the D string to the G string, staying on the 2nd fret.
| Finger | On Em | On Am | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| Index finger (1) | not used | B string, 1st fret | Goes down |
| Middle finger (2) | A string, 2nd fret | D string, 2nd fret | Moves across, same fret |
| Ring finger (3) | D string, 2nd fret | G string, 2nd fret | Moves across, same fret |
How to practise Em to Am
- Play Em and pick each string on its own. Fix any string that buzzes before you start changing.
- Lead with the middle finger: it has the furthest to go (to the D string, 2nd fret). Aim it first and let the other fingers follow.
- Do “ghost changes”: switch from Em to Am and back 20 times without strumming. Lift your fingers only just off the strings, and land them all together.
- Now strum: four strums on Em, four on Am. When that is clean, try two strums each, then one.
- Time yourself with the trainer below: one minute, counting every clean change. Do it once a day and watch the number climb.
One-minute Em to Am trainer
Press Start, hold Em through the count-in, then change back and forth for one minute. Tap the big button (or press the space bar) every time you land a clean chord. Your best score is kept.
Want other chords? Open the full chord change trainer.
Songs that use Em to Am
These songs in our free song library change between Em and Am. Each one has a play-along that counts you in and lights up the chord to play.
- God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen4 changes
- The Wellerman3 changes
- What Child Is This3 changes
- Danny Boy2 changes
- Molly Malone2 changes
- Scarborough Fair2 changes
- The Parting Glass2 changes
- Were You There2 changes
- Barbara Allen1 change
- Deck the Halls1 change
- Go Tell It on the Mountain1 change
- Good King Wenceslas1 change
And 7 more in the song library.
Em to Am: questions
Which finger stays down when you change from Em to Am?
None stays in exactly the same place with the standard shapes. Your middle finger and ring finger move across to another string on the same fret; your index finger goes down fresh.
How do I change from Em to Am faster?
Practise the change on its own, not inside a song. Lift your fingers only just off the strings, land them all at once, and lead with the finger that has the longest trip. Then do one minute of changes a day with a timer and count them.
How many Em to Am changes a minute is good?
Count every clean change: Em to Am is one, and back again is two. Around 30 in a minute is a solid start and enough for slow songs. At 40 most songs at a relaxed tempo start to flow, and at about 60 (one change a second) the change is ready for almost anything.
What songs use Em and Am?
In our free song library, God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen, The Wellerman, What Child Is This and Danny Boy, and 15 more use it. Em and Am use the same shape, one string apart, so this is often the very first change beginners learn. In A minor songs, Am is home and Em is the fifth chord.
Is Am to Em the same as Em to Am?
It uses the same moves in reverse. Practise both directions: the trainer counts each switch either way.
More chord changes
Learn the chords in the right order
Fretwork’s lessons teach one chord at a time, with a ring test and a one-minute change check before you move on. The first two stages are free.