Em to B7 chord change
Your middle finger stays down; your ring finger moves across to another string on the same fret; your index finger and little finger go down fresh. Your strumming hand changes too: Em uses all six strings, B7 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.
Why this change matters
In E minor, B7 is the V7 chord. Em to B7 and back drives many minor-key folk tunes.
Em to B7 is one of the easier changes, helped by the middle finger that stays put. Going back from B7 to Em, make the same moves in reverse: the middle finger still stays put.
Finger by finger
- Goes downIndex finger (1) goes down on the D string, 1st fret.
- Stays putMiddle finger (2) stays put on the A string, 2nd fret.
- Moves across, same fretRing finger (3) moves across from the D string to the G string, staying on the 2nd fret.
- Goes downLittle finger (4) goes down on the high e string, 2nd fret.
| Finger | On Em | On B7 | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| Index finger (1) | not used | D string, 1st fret | Goes down |
| Middle finger (2) | A string, 2nd fret | A string, 2nd fret | Stays put |
| Ring finger (3) | D string, 2nd fret | G string, 2nd fret | Moves across, same fret |
| Little finger (4) | not used | high e string, 2nd fret | Goes down |
How to practise Em to B7
- Play Em and pick each string on its own. Fix any string that buzzes before you start changing.
- Find your anchor: keep the middle finger pressed down the whole time. It holds your hand in place, so the other fingers only have a short trip.
- Lead with the ring finger: it has the furthest to go (to the G string, 2nd fret). Aim it first and let the other fingers follow.
- Do “ghost changes”: switch from Em to B7 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 B7. 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 B7 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 B7
These songs in our free song library change between Em and B7. Each one has a play-along that counts you in and lights up the chord to play.
Em to B7: questions
Which finger stays down when you change from Em to B7?
Your middle finger stays on the same spot in both chords, so it anchors your hand while the other fingers move.
How do I change from Em to B7 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 B7 changes a minute is good?
Count every clean change: Em to B7 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 B7?
In our free song library, God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen and What Child Is This use it. In E minor, B7 is the V7 chord. Em to B7 and back drives many minor-key folk tunes.
Is B7 to Em the same as Em to B7?
It uses the same moves in reverse, and the middle finger still stays put. 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.