E major chord (E)
E is E, G♯ and B: 1–3–5 built on E. Below: guitar, piano and ukulele, each playable.
On guitar
0-2-2-1-0-0 · open · easy
- Notes
- E · G♯ · B
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · 5
- First shape
- 0-2-2-1-0-0
E on guitar: every shape, finger by finger
On piano
root position · E–G♯–B · right hand 1-3-5
- Notes
- E · G♯ · B
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · 5
E on piano: fingering and inversions
On ukulele
1-4-0-2 · open · medium
- Notes
- E · G♯ · B
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · 5
- First shape
- 1-4-0-2
Changing out of E
The moves below are the ones you'll meet most, shown for guitar and piano.
- E → A (IV in E major)
Guitar: E (0-2-2-1-0-0) to A (x-0-2-2-2-0): your index finger lands on the D string, 2nd fret, the middle finger goes to the G string, 2nd fret, move the ring finger to the B string, 2nd fret. Everything moves: lift the whole hand and place the new shape in one go. Shared note: E.
Piano: E to A: play A in 2nd inversion (E–A–C♯) and E stays under the same finger, while G♯ moves up to A and B up to C♯. A - E → B (V in E major)
Guitar: E (0-2-2-1-0-0) to B (x-2-4-4-4-2): the index finger lays across the A to high E strings at the 2nd fret, your middle finger lands on the D string, 4th fret, move the ring finger to the G string, 4th fret, the pinky finger comes down on the B string, 4th fret. Everything moves: lift the whole hand and place the new shape in one go. B carries over from one chord to the other.
Piano: E to B: play B in 1st inversion (D♯–F♯–B) and B stays under the same finger, while E moves down to D♯ and G♯ down to F♯. B - E → C♯m (vi in E major)
Guitar: E (0-2-2-1-0-0) to C♯m (x-4-6-6-5-4): the index finger lays across the A to high E strings at the 4th fret, move the middle finger to the B string, 5th fret, the ring finger goes to the D string, 6th fret, the pinky finger comes down on the G string, 6th fret. Everything moves: lift the whole hand and place the new shape in one go. Listen for E and G♯, which stay put while the rest moves.
Piano: E to C♯m: play C♯m in 1st inversion (E–G♯–C♯) and E and G♯ stay under the same fingers, while B moves up to C♯. C♯m
Guitar with a capo: capo 2, D shape; capo 4, C shape; capo 7, A shape. Ukulele with a capo: capo 2, D shape; capo 4, C shape; capo 6, B♭ shape; capo 7, A shape.
How E is built
E has the stable, upbeat sound of every major triad. Play it after a minor chord and you'll hear the light come back in.
Start on E, count 4 half steps up to G♯ then 3 half steps up to B.
| Note | Role | Half steps | Hear it |
|---|---|---|---|
| E | root | 0 | |
| G♯ | major third | 4 | |
| B | perfect fifth | 7 |
Keys and progressions with E
In major keys, E is I in E major, IV in B major and V in A major. In minor keys it is III in C♯ minor, V in A minor (borrowing the raised 7th), VI in G♯ minor and VII in F♯ minor.
In E major, I–V–vi–IV is E – B – C♯m – A. the pop progression
I–IV–V in E major runs E – A – B – E. the three-chord progression
Play I–vi–IV–V in E major and you get E – C♯m – A – B. the 50s progression
C♯m – A – E – B: that's vi–IV–I–V in the key of E major. the minor-feel pop loop
Chords close to E
- E and Em differ by one note: G♯ in E, G in Em. They share E and B. Em
- E and C♯m differ by one note: B in E, C♯ in C♯m. They share E and G♯. C♯m
Chords that share most of their notes with E: C♯m7, E7, Emaj7, Eadd9, E6, E9.
Every E chord
E major chord: questions
What notes are in the E major chord?
E, G♯ and B. E is built 1–3–5 from E: G♯ is the major third and B is the perfect fifth.
How do you play E on guitar?
The usual shape is 0-2-2-1-0-0 (open). All 4 guitar shapes.
How do you play E on piano?
Play E, G♯ and B with right-hand fingers 1-3-5. E sits just right of the pair of black keys. Inversions and left hand.
How do you play E on ukulele?
1-4-0-2 in standard GCEA tuning. More ukulele shapes.
What key is E in?
In major keys, E is I in E major, IV in B major and V in A major. In minor keys it is III in C♯ minor, V in A minor (borrowing the raised 7th), VI in G♯ minor and VII in F♯ minor.
What's the difference between E and Em?
E and Em differ by one note: G♯ in E, G in Em. They share E and B.
Diagrams and sound come from the same data, tested so they match. Updated September 2026.