E major chord (E)

E major is a 3-note major chord: E – G♯ – B. It sounds stable, bright and cheerful. Here it is on guitar, piano and ukulele, with fingering and audio.

NotesE – G♯ – B
Formula1 – 3 – 5
SymbolE · EM · Emaj
TypeMajor chord

E major on guitar

Open position
Barre at fret 7 (A shape)

How to place your fingers (open position)

Finger 2 (middle) on fret 2 of string 5 (A).
Finger 3 (ring finger) on fret 2 of the 4th string (D).
Finger 1 (index) on fret 1 of the 3rd string (G).
The 6th, 2nd and 1st strings are played open.

The numbers inside the dots are the fingers of your left hand: 1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring and 4 pinky. The colored dots mark the root (E). The other positions let you change chords without jumping along the neck, or give you a higher-pitched sound.

E major on piano

In root position, play E – G♯ – B from bottom to top with fingers 1, 3 and 5 of your right hand (thumb, middle and pinky). With your left hand you usually play just the root (E) or the root and the fifth.

Inversions

First inversion: G♯ – B – E
Second inversion: B – E – G♯

E major on ukulele

Open position
From fret 4

Standard tuning G – C – E – A (the G string is the high one). Is your ukulele in tune? Use the ukulele tuner.

Notes and intervals of E major

E1 · root
G♯3 · major third
B5 · perfect fifth

It's the basic chord of almost any song: it works as a point of arrival (the tonic) and as a passing chord.

Progressions with E

The basic progression: I – IV – V – I

E
A
B
E

With these three chords you can play along to hundreds of songs in E major.

The pop progression: I – V – vi – IV

It's the backbone of a huge number of ballads, pop songs and reggaeton hits.

Which keys contain E major?

E belongs to 6 keys: in each one it plays a different role depending on the degree (the Roman numeral).

Key	Degree
E major	I
A major	V
B major	IV
C♯ natural minor	III
F♯ natural minor	VII
G♯ natural minor	VI

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the E major chord?

E major (E) has 3 notes: E (root), G♯ (major third), B (perfect fifth).

How do you play E major on guitar?

The easiest shape is in open position: 0 2 2 1 0 0 (from string 6 to string 1). Place finger 2 (middle) at fret 2 on string 5 (A). Place finger 3 (ring) at fret 2 on string 4 (D). Place finger 1 (index) at fret 1 on string 3 (G). Strings 6, 2 and 1 are played open.

What is the difference between E major and E minor?

Only the third changes: E major uses G♯ and E minor uses G. That note is what makes the chord sound bright (major) or darker (minor).

How do you write E major in chord notation?

It's written E; you may also see EM or Emaj. Chord symbols use letters for note names: C = do, D = re, E = mi, F = fa, G = sol, A = la, and B = si.

Want to play whole songs?

A teacher shows you how to change chords smoothly, strum and play along to your favorite songs, in online lessons or at home in Bogotá.

Message us on WhatsApp See lessons