E major scale
E major scale is E – F♯ – G♯ – A – B – C♯ – D♯, with F♯, G♯, C♯ and D♯. Formula 1 2 3 4 5 6 7. Hit play and watch it light up on both instruments.
The notes, one step at a time
From E upward the gaps are W W H W W W H (W = whole step, H = half step). The half steps fall between G♯–A and D♯–E.
| Degree | Note | Interval from E | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | E | root | |
| 2 | F♯ | major second | |
| 3 | G♯ | major third | |
| 4 | A | perfect fourth | |
| 5 | B | perfect fifth | |
| 6 | C♯ | major sixth | |
| 7 | D♯ | major seventh |
What E major sounds like
The major scale is the yardstick for the rest of theory: chord numbers, intervals and key signatures are all counted from it. It sounds settled and bright because every step pulls back toward E.
Listen for the leading tone D♯, a half step below E. Stop on it and the scale sounds unfinished until E comes back.
Compared with E natural minor scale, E major scale has G♯, C♯ and D♯ where the other has G, C and D; the other four notes are shared. Hear E natural minor scale and compare.
Playing E major
Keyboard players: four black (F♯, G♯, C♯ and D♯), three white.
The guitar box starts with the root open on the low E string and spans frets 0–5: 18 notes, low string to high.
The key of E major
Songs in E major are built from these notes, so the key signature has four sharps (F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯). The relative minor is C♯ minor: same notes, starting on the 6th degree. The parallel minor, E natural minor, starts on the same note with different notes above it.
Chords and progressions in E major
Chords built on each note
Stack every other note of the scale on each degree and you get 7 chords. These are the chords of the key. Tap to hear each one.
E major scale shares all its notes with C♯ natural minor (starting on the 6th note, C♯), D♯ Locrian (starting on the 7th note, D♯), F♯ Dorian (starting on the 2nd note, F♯), G♯ Phrygian (starting on the 3rd note, G♯), A Lydian (starting on the 4th note, A) and B Mixolydian (starting on the 5th note, B). Which one you hear depends on which note the music treats as home.
Moving it around the guitar
The root, E, sits at frets 0 and 12 on the low E string and 7 on the A string (0 = open). Work up the neck in five positions (low E string frets 2, 5, 7, 9 and 12) and you'll have it everywhere. On guitar, learn the box from the 6th-string root first; the same fingering moves anywhere.
On the piano, E major scale uses 4 black keys (F♯, G♯, C♯ and D♯) and 3 white.
Thirds make the scale sound musical instead of step-by-step: E–G♯, F♯–A, G♯–B, A–C♯, B–D♯, C♯–E, D♯–F♯.
Three ways to practise E major
Try these after the plain scale. Tap to hear each pattern at a steady speed, then play along.
- Groups of three: E F♯ G♯ · F♯ G♯ A · G♯ A B · A B C♯ · B C♯ D♯ · C♯ D♯ E.
- Land on D♯: E D♯ E D♯ E: the 7th, a half step under the root, pulls the ear home.
Close relatives of E major scale
Major scale in every key
E major scale: questions
What are the notes of the E major scale?
7 notes: E, F♯, G♯, A, B, C♯ and D♯.
How many sharps or flats are in the E major scale?
Four: F♯, G♯, C♯ and D♯. That matches the key signature of E major.
What chords are in the E major scale?
Stacking thirds on each note gives E (I), F♯m (ii), G♯m (iii), A (IV), B (V), C♯m (vi) and D♯dim (vii°).
What's the difference between E major scale and E natural minor scale?
G♯, C♯ and D♯ in E major; G, C and D in the other. Everything else is the same.
Every note on this page is computed from 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 and tested. Updated September 2026.