As the tonic (I)E major
Home. The loop leaves E Major and keeps coming back to it.
E Major Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The E Major chord is built on the root note E. Its notes are E, G♯ and B.
Transpose
Quality
Short answer
Major chords feel bright, stable and resolved. A root, a major third and a perfect fifth give them a happy, confident sound. Most popular music is built on them.
- Notes
- E · G♯ · B
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · 5
- Semitones
- 0 · 4 · 7
- Note
- E
- Quality
- Major
- Symbol
- E
E Major on piano
3 notesView:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
To play E Major on piano, place your right hand with your thumb on E, middle finger on G♯ and little finger on B. Press the keys together and listen for an even sound. On the keyboard G♯ is a black key and E and B are white. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
- E1
- G♯3
- B5
E Major on guitar
View:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, E Major is commonly played with the voicing shown above. The fretted notes sit between frets 1 and 2. Strings 6, 2 and 1 ring open.
E · G♯ · B
Try E Major on the virtual piano
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E Major chord notes
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | E | |
| 3 | Major third | 4 | G♯(G#) | |
| 5 | Perfect fifth | 7 | B |
How to use the E Major chord
The E Major chord is built from a root, a major third and a perfect fifth. Start at the root E and stack the intervals to get the whole chord: E, G♯ and B. The same formula gives you the chord in any other key.
You'll find major chords in almost every style of popular music: rock anthems, country ballads, pop hits and hymns. They commonly appear as the I, IV and V chords in a major key.
In major keys E is the V in A major, the I in E major and the IV in B major; in minor keys it's the V in A minor, the VII in F♯ minor and the III in C♯ minor. As the V of A minor it takes its third, G♯, from the harmonic minor scale: the key's seventh degree, raised a half step.
How E Major differs from similar chords
E and Em share the root and the fifth, and the only difference is the third: a major third in E, a minor third in Em. Add a major seventh and it becomes Emaj7, add a minor seventh and it becomes E7. Of all the chords on this root, the plain major triad is the one that sounds finished.
Songs that use the E Major chord
These well-known tracks all play the E Major chord somewhere - they are not necessarily in that key.
- 1Johnny B. GoodeChuck Berry
- 2Jingle Bell RockBobby Helms
- 3Sharp Dressed ManZZ Top
- 4Pride and JoyStevie Ray Vaughan
- 5Rock Around the ClockBill Haley
Where E Major is used
A major chord is at home as a tonic, and just as useful as the IV or the V of a neighbouring key. Each progression below is written in the key its numerals name.
Scales that contain E
These scales include E as one of their diatonic chords. Use them to find melodies and improvisation ideas that fit perfectly.
C Lydian Augmented
C · D · E · F♯ · G♯ · A · B
C Enigmatic
C · D♭ · E · F♯ · G♯ · A♯ · B
C♯ Natural Minor
C♯ · D♯ · E · F♯ · G♯ · A · B
C♯ Dorian
C♯ · D♯ · E · F♯ · G♯ · A♯ · B
C♯ Phrygian
C♯ · D · E · F♯ · G♯ · A · B
C♯ Aeolian
C♯ · D♯ · E · F♯ · G♯ · A · B
D Lydian
D · E · F♯ · G♯ · A · B · C♯
D Lydian Augmented
D · E · F♯ · G♯ · A♯ · B · C♯
D Lydian Dominant
D · E · F♯ · G♯ · A · B · C
E Major
E · F♯ · G♯ · A · B · C♯ · D♯
E Lydian
E · F♯ · G♯ · A♯ · B · C♯ · D♯
E Mixolydian
E · F♯ · G♯ · A · B · C♯ · D
Questions people ask
- What notes are in the E Major chord?
- The E Major chord contains E, G♯ and B (E, G# and B in plain text).
- Is the E Major chord major or minor?
- E Major is a major chord. Major chords feel bright, stable and resolved. A root, a major third and a perfect fifth give them a happy, confident sound. Most popular music is built on them.
- What key is the E Major chord in?
- In major keys E is the V in A major, the I in E major and the IV in B major; in minor keys it's the V in A minor, the VII in F♯ minor and the III in C♯ minor. As the V of A minor it takes its third, G♯, from the harmonic minor scale: the key's seventh degree, raised a half step.
- How do you play E Major on piano?
- Place your fingers on E, G♯ and B and play them together. The root usually goes to the little finger of the left hand, the upper notes to the right. On the keyboard G♯ is a black key and E and B are white.
- How do you play E Major on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. The fretted notes sit between frets 1 and 2. Strings 6, 2 and 1 ring open.
- What chords work well with E Major?
- E Major pairs naturally with the chords in the related section: a perfect fifth up or down, the relative major or minor, and anything sharing two notes with it.