E chord (E major)

The E chord (E major) has 3 notes: E, G♯ and B. It is a major chord: root, major third and perfect fifth. It sounds bright and stable. It is the home chord of a major key and often opens and closes a chorus.

How to play it on guitar

An x is a string you don't play and 0 is an open string. The number on the left is the fret where the shape starts.

Open
022100

Barre chord · fret 7
x79997

Barre chord · fret 9
(12)(11)999(12)

Notes in the chord

Note	Interval
E	Root
G♯	Major third
B	Perfect fifth

Inversions

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

On piano

The highlighted keys make the chord in root position.

On ukulele

Usual shape
1442

Higher up the neck · fret 4
4447

Keys it belongs to

E is one of the chords of these keys. The degree tells you its role.

Progressions to practise it

Open them in the chord progression player to loop them and write over them.

E – B – C♯m – A in E major Play in the chord player
A – D – E – A in A major Play in the chord player
B – G♯m – E – F♯ in B major Play in the chord player

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the E chord?

E has 3 notes: E, G♯ and B. It is a major chord: root, major third and perfect fifth.

How do you play E on guitar?

The usual shape is 022100, read from the low E string to the high E string.

What keys is E in?

E is in E major (I), A major (V), B major (IV), C sharp minor (III), F sharp minor (VII) and G sharp minor (VI).

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