When a song is in the key of G major, the Em chord will seamlessly intertwine with the tonic. Remember, ”Tonic” is just a fancy word for the root chord. It’s often referred to as the 1 chord, or the Roman numeral I chord. This chord is dependent upon the key signature of the song- in this case G major.
We have learned every major key has one relative minor chord associated with it. Em is the relative, or natural minor, for G. The G major scale and the Em scale have the same exact notes, just different roots, so you can’t go wrong…
Fig. 1: The G Major Scale & E Minor Scale
They share the same notes- just start on different root notes.
Fig. 2: Open Strings Are Our Friends
Always use open strings to your advantage. They always sound better than fretted notes.
Fig. 3: Same Fills- Different Sound
What sounds good over G sounds good over Em.
Fig. 4: D/F#: The Magical Connector Chord
The D/F# chord is like a bridge between G and Em.
Fig. 5: The Connector Chord In Action
This walk down (or walk up in reverse) is used time and time again in all genres of music.
