Chord · E Minor (1st Inversion)
Em/♭3 Chord
Em/♭3 is G, B and E — minor triad with the third in the bass.
Em/♭3 on every instrument
The same 3 notes, 1 sets of hands. Open a diagram for alternate shapes, audio and the mistakes to avoid.
What Em/♭3 is made of
E Minor (1st Inversion) (E minor (1st inversion)) is built from the notes G, B, E, with the interval pattern b3, 5, 1. A common minor (1st inversion) chord across many styles.
Stack b3, 5 and 1 on a root of E and you get G, B and E. That interval recipe is what makes the chord a minor first inversion chord — move the same shape to another root and the character travels with it, which is why Cm/♭3 sounds like a transposed Em/♭3.
Minor (1st Inversion): Minor triad with the third in the bass.
Spelling: the notes above are written the way a score would write them, not simplified to the nearest piano key. Every tone here lands on its own letter — no accidentals needed.
Keys that contain Em/♭3
All 3 notes sit inside the scale of 6 keys. The roman numeral marks the degree the chord is rooted on.
Other chords on E
Same root, different colour.
The same minor first inversion shape, moved
The identical interval recipe, built on other roots.
Questions people ask about Em/b3
- What notes are in the Em/b3 chord?
- Em/b3 is made of G, B and E — the b3, 5 and 1 degrees of a minor first inversion chord built on E.
- What keys use the Em/b3 chord?
- Every note of Em/b3 belongs to 6 keys: C Major (iii), G Major (vi), D Major (ii), A Minor (v), E Minor (i), B Minor (iv). The roman numeral is the scale degree the chord is rooted on.
- How do you play Em/b3 on guitar and piano?
- This page shows Em/b3 on piano — 1 voicings in total. Each diagram links to the full instrument page with alternate shapes, audio and common mistakes.
Learn the theory behind it
Why Em/♭3 behaves the way it does — the guides that explain the chord instead of just spelling it.