Em to D chord change
Your middle finger and ring finger lift and move; your index finger goes down fresh. Your strumming hand changes too: Em uses all six strings, D starts on the D 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 G string, 2nd fret.
- Lifts and movesMiddle finger (2) lifts and moves from the A string, 2nd fret to the high e string, 2nd fret.
- Lifts and movesRing finger (3) lifts and moves from the D string, 2nd fret to the B string, 3rd fret.
| Finger | On Em | On D | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| Index finger (1) | not used | G string, 2nd fret | Goes down |
| Middle finger (2) | A string, 2nd fret | high e string, 2nd fret | Lifts and moves |
| Ring finger (3) | D string, 2nd fret | B string, 3rd fret | Lifts and moves |
How to practise Em to D
- 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 high e string, 2nd fret). Aim it first and let the other fingers follow.
- Do “ghost changes”: switch from Em to D 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 D. 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.
An easier way to play it
Em to D (Em with index and middle finger): fewer fingers have to travel. It is the same pair of chords, just fingered so the change is shorter.
- Moves across, same fretIndex finger (1) moves across from the A string to the G string, staying on the 2nd fret.
- Lifts and movesMiddle finger (2) lifts and moves from the D string, 2nd fret to the high e string, 2nd fret.
- Goes downRing finger (3) goes down on the B string, 3rd fret.
One-minute Em to D 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 D
These songs in our free song library change between Em and D. Each one has a play-along that counts you in and lights up the chord to play.
Em to D: questions
Which finger stays down when you change from Em to D?
None stays in exactly the same place with the standard shapes. Your middle finger and ring finger lift and move; your index finger goes down fresh. With the easier fingering on this page, fewer fingers can stay in contact.
How do I change from Em to D 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. If it still feels slow, try the easier version: Em to D.
How many Em to D changes a minute is good?
Count every clean change: Em to D 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 D?
In our free song library, O Come, All Ye Faithful, What Child Is This, Aura Lee and Go Tell It on the Mountain, and 6 more use it. Em to D is vi to V in the key of G, and it often comes just before the song lands back on G.
Is D to Em the same as Em to D?
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.