Session 2: Your First Chord: Em

Duration: 50 minutes

Today you play your first chord. The E minor chord (Em) uses only two fingers and sounds dark, moody, and powerful — perfect for rock music. You will also learn to read guitar TAB, which is how guitar music is written down. By the end of this session, you will be strumming a real chord and reading your first piece of TAB.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this session you will be able to:

1. Play the Em chord cleanly with all six strings ringing clearly
2. Read basic guitar TAB (string numbers and fret numbers)
3. Strum Em with steady downstrokes at 70 BPM
4. Identify fret-hand finger numbers (1 = index, 2 = middle, 3 = ring, 4 = pinky)
5. Play the “Em Groove” exercise piece with a steady rhythm

Materials Needed

• Your Saga SF-600C-BK guitar
• A guitar pick
• A clip-on tuner or phone tuner app
• A metronome
• Reference: Reading Tab

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Segment 1 — Warm-Up and Stretch (5 minutes)

Finger Stretches

Repeat the stretches from Session 1:

1. Finger spread — Spread all fingers wide, hold 5 seconds, relax. 3 times.
2. Wrist circles — 5 circles each direction per wrist.
3. Finger touch — Thumb to each fingertip in sequence and back. 5 times per hand.

Tune Your Guitar

Tune all six strings to standard tuning (EADGBE) using your clip-on tuner. Do this every single session before you play anything.

Quick Review

Strum all six open strings with 4 downstrokes at 60 BPM. Count aloud: “1, 2, 3, 4.” Do this twice to reconnect with the guitar.

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Segment 2 — Technique Focus: Fretting Hand Basics (10 minutes)

Finger Numbers

Your fretting hand (left hand for right-handed players) has numbered fingers:

Finger	Number	Abbreviation
Index	1	1
Middle	2	2
Ring	3	3
Pinky	4	4
Thumb	T	T

Your thumb stays behind the neck — it does not press strings. It provides support and leverage.

How to Press a String (Fretting)

1. Place your fretting-hand thumb on the back of the neck, roughly behind fret 2. Your thumb should point upward, not wrap over the top of the neck.
2. Curl your fingers so your fingertips approach the fretboard at a steep angle — almost perpendicular. You press with the very tip of your finger, not the pad.
3. Press the string down firmly just behind the fret wire (the metal strip). “Behind” means on the side closer to the headstock. If you press directly on top of the metal strip, you get a dead, muted sound. If you press too far from the fret wire, you need more pressure and may get buzzing.
4. Press hard enough that the string contacts the fret wire. You do not need to crush the string into the fretboard — just enough for clean contact.

Fretting Exercise — One Finger at a Time

Place finger 1 (index) on string 3 (G string), fret 1. Press and pluck the string with your pick. Does it ring clearly, or does it buzz or sound dead?

• If it buzzes: Press harder, or move your finger closer to the fret wire.
• If it sounds dead/muted: Check that your fingertip is not accidentally touching the neighboring string. Curl your finger more.

Now try each finger on string 3:

Step	Finger	Fret	What to do
1	1 (index)	Fret 1	Press and pluck. Hold for 2 seconds. Release.
2	2 (middle)	Fret 2	Press and pluck. Hold for 2 seconds. Release.
3	3 (ring)	Fret 3	Press and pluck. Hold for 2 seconds. Release.
4	4 (pinky)	Fret 4	Press and pluck. Hold for 2 seconds. Release.

Repeat this sequence 3 times.

Steel-string finger pain: Your fingertips will hurt. This is normal — steel strings require more pressure than nylon strings. If the pain becomes sharp rather than dull, put the guitar down for 30 seconds and shake out your hands. The soreness will fade over the next 2–3 weeks as calluses build. Do not push through sharp pain.

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Segment 3 — New Learning: The Em Chord and Reading TAB (15 minutes)

The Em Chord

Em (E minor) is the simplest open chord on guitar. It uses only two fingers and all six strings ring open or fretted.

Chord Diagram:

Em

OOOO

2

3

EADGBe

Step-by-step:

1. Place your middle finger (2) on string 5 (A string), fret 2. Press firmly just behind the fret wire.
2. Place your ring finger (3) on string 4 (D string), fret 2. It sits right next to your middle finger, one string lower.
3. Keep your index finger (1) and pinky (4) relaxed and hovering — they are not used for this chord.
4. Your thumb should be behind the neck, roughly behind fret 2, pointing upward.
5. Make sure your fingers are curled enough that they do not accidentally touch any neighbouring strings.

The sound check: Strum all six strings slowly from string 6 to string 1. Every string should ring clearly. Now pluck each string individually:

• String 6 (E): Open — should ring clearly
• String 5 (A): Fret 2 — should ring clearly (finger 2 pressing)
• String 4 (D): Fret 2 — should ring clearly (finger 3 pressing)
• String 3 (G): Open — should ring clearly
• String 2 (B): Open — should ring clearly
• String 1 (E): Open — should ring clearly

If any string buzzes or sounds dead, check:

• Is your finger pressing close enough to the fret wire?
• Is a neighbouring finger accidentally touching that string?
• Are you pressing hard enough?

Practice the chord: Strum Em 4 times at 60 BPM. Lift all fingers off. Place them back and strum 4 more times. Repeat this “place — strum — lift — place — strum” cycle 10 times. This builds the muscle memory for the chord shape.

Reading Guitar TAB

TAB (tablature) is a way of writing guitar music. It looks like this:

X:1 T:Em Chord — 4 Strums M:4/4 L:1/4 K:C [E,B,EGBe] [E,B,EGBe] [E,B,EGBe] [E,B,EGBe] |

How to read TAB:

• There are 6 horizontal lines, one per string. The bottom line = string 6 (low E, thickest). The top line = string 1 (high E, thinnest).
• The numbers on each line tell you which fret to press. “0” means play the string open (no fretting). “2” means press fret 2.
• Read left to right, like a book. Numbers stacked vertically are played at the same time (strummed together).

The TAB above is the Em chord strummed 4 times — exactly what you just learned.

Important: TAB does not show rhythm on its own. In this course, rhythm will always be written above or below the TAB, or stated explicitly.

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Segment 4 — Song Workshop: “Em Groove” (15 minutes)

This is an original exercise piece designed to get you comfortable strumming Em with a steady beat.

”Em Groove” — Exercise Piece

Tempo: 70 BPM Time signature: 4/4 (4 beats per measure) Strumming pattern: All downstrokes (D)

Structure:

• 8 measures of Em, all downstrokes
• Focus: Steady rhythm, clean chord tone, even volume on each strum

Strumming: D D D D | D D D D |

Count: 1 2 3 4 | 1 2 3 4 |

Chord: Em Em

TAB:
e|---0---0---0---0---|---0---0---0---0---|
B|---0---0---0---0---|---0---0---0---0---|
G|---0---0---0---0---|---0---0---0---0---|
D|---2---2---2---2---|---2---2---2---2---|
A|---2---2---2---2---|---2---2---2---2---|
E|---0---0---0---0---|---0---0---0---0---|
     1   2   3   4       1   2   3   4

Play this pattern for 8 measures total (32 strums) without stopping.

What it should sound like: A steady, dark, moody pulse. Em has a rich, slightly sad quality. Let the strings ring between strums — do not choke the sound by lifting your fingers.

Adding Dynamics

Once you can play 8 measures cleanly, try this dynamic variation — strum beats 1 and 3 louder (accented), beats 2 and 4 softer:

Strumming: D d D d | D d D d |

Count: 1 2 3 4 | 1 2 3 4 |

Accent: > > | > > |

D = louder downstroke, d = softer downstroke, > = accent mark

This gives your playing a sense of pulse and life, not just mechanical strumming.

Rest and Repeat

Steel-string break: Put the guitar down. Shake out both hands. Look at your fretting-hand fingertips — they will be red and indented from the strings. This is normal. The indentations and soreness will lead to calluses within 2–3 weeks of regular practice. If the pain is sharp or stinging, stop for today and come back tomorrow. If it is a dull ache, you can continue after a 30-second rest.

Pick the guitar back up and play the “Em Groove” one more time — all 8 measures at 70 BPM.

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Segment 5 — Review and Practice Plan (5 minutes)

What You Learned Today

• Fretting-hand finger numbers (1 = index, 2 = middle, 3 = ring, 4 = pinky, T = thumb)
• How to press a string cleanly (fingertip, just behind fret wire)
• The Em chord (finger 2 on string 5 fret 2, finger 3 on string 4 fret 2)
• How to read basic guitar TAB
• The “Em Groove” exercise piece at 70 BPM

Common Mistakes

1. Pressing with the finger pad instead of the fingertip — Curl your fingers more. You want the very tip of the finger, almost the edge near your fingernail.
2. Thumb wrapping over the top of the neck — Keep your thumb behind the neck pointing upward. This gives your fingers more reach and a better angle.
3. Muting adjacent strings — If string 3 (G) sounds dead when you play Em, your ring finger (on string 4) is likely touching it. Curl your finger more and check your angle.
4. Inconsistent strumming speed — Use the metronome. Every strum should land exactly on a click. If you are rushing or dragging, slow the metronome down to 60 BPM and work back up.
5. Gripping too hard to fight the pain — More pressure does not mean less pain. Press just hard enough for a clean sound. Excess pressure tires your hand and makes the pain worse.

Self-Check Questions

1. Can you play Em and have all six strings ring clearly when plucked one at a time?
2. Can you place your fingers in the Em shape, lift them off completely, and place them back within 3 seconds?
3. When you look at a TAB, do you know which line represents which string?
4. Can you play the “Em Groove” for 8 measures at 70 BPM without losing the beat?

Practice Plan (Daily, 20 minutes)

Block	Time	Activity
Warm-Up	3 min	Finger stretches + tune your guitar
Fretting Exercise	3 min	One-finger-per-fret exercise on string 3 (Session 2 Technique Focus)
Em Chord	7 min	Place-strum-lift-place cycle (10 reps). Then strum Em at 70 BPM for 8 measures, rest, repeat 3 times
Em Groove	5 min	Play the full “Em Groove” with accents (D d D d) at 70 BPM
TAB Reading	2 min	Read the Em TAB from this session — look at each number and say aloud which string and fret it represents

Steel-string note: Your fingertips will be sore after practice. This is exactly how calluses begin. Do not peel or pick at the hardening skin. Practise daily — skipping days resets the callus-building process.

Guitar Tip — Saga SF-600C-BK

The Saga’s steel strings require more finger pressure than nylon strings. If you find you need to press very hard to get a clean sound, your guitar’s “action” (the height of the strings above the fretboard) may be slightly high. This is common on new guitars. A guitar technician can adjust the action with a simple setup. For now, press firmly and let your fingers adapt — most beginners find the pressure becomes natural within 2 weeks.