What E major is built from
Counting up in semitones from E:
| Note | Interval | Semitones from root |
|---|---|---|
| E | root | 0 |
| G♯ | major third | 4 |
| B | perfect fifth | 7 |
Move all three of those the same distance and you get the same chord on another root — that is what the major triad formula 0 – 4 – 7 means.
How to play E major
All six strings are played. The low E, B and top E strings ring open. Nothing is higher than fret 2, so it sits in first position.
All four strings are played. Nothing is higher than fret 4, so it sits in first position.
Play E, G♯ and B together. That is two white keys and one black.
Numbers in the grids are frets. Where a number is printed beside a grid, that is the fret the top row stands for; otherwise the thick bar at the top is the nut. A circle above a string means play it open, a cross means leave it out.
Guitar, string by string
| Guitar string | Stopped at | Sounds |
|---|---|---|
| low E | open | E |
| A | fret 2 | B |
| D | fret 2 | E |
| G | fret 1 | G♯ |
| B | open | B |
| top E | open | E |
Ukulele, string by string
| Ukulele string | Stopped at | Sounds |
|---|---|---|
| G | fret 4 | B |
| C | fret 4 | E |
| E | fret 4 | G♯ |
| A | fret 2 | B |
E major on the stave
The same three notes written on a treble stave, spelled the way a major triad is spelled — one letter for every other step, with whichever accidental reaches the pitch. That is why it reads E, G♯ and B, and not the same sounds written some other way.
Which keys E major belongs to
| Key | Relative minor | Degree |
|---|---|---|
| E major | C♯ minor | I |
| A major | F♯ minor | V |
| B major | G♯ minor | IV |
Each row is a key whose scale contains every note of E major. A major key and its relative minor use the same seven notes, so the chord belongs to both.
Chords that sit next to E major
The seven triads built on the scale of E major. These are the chords E major is most often played alongside, because they are made from the same seven notes. The small numeral is the degree each one stands on.
Other chords on E
Same root, different notes above it.
E minor is its parallel: same root, same fifth, and only the third between them.
Chords straight off a recording
Upload a track and the studio marks its chords, key and tempo against the beat, with these same shapes and the stave underneath.
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