The Key of E major
E major is E – F♯ – G♯ – A – B – C♯ – D♯.
Why this key
E major is the lowest key a standard-tuned guitar can root on an open string, which is why so much blues and hard rock is in E — the low E is the tonic, and everything above it rings sympathetically. It has four sharps, which matters to a pianist and almost not at all to a guitarist.
Every chord in E major
Seven chords, built on each note of the scale in turn.
| Numeral | Chord | Quality |
|---|---|---|
| I | E | major |
| ii | F#m | minor |
| iii | G#m | minor |
| IV | A | major |
| V | B | major |
| vi | C#m | minor |
| vii° | D#dim | dim |
The scale, on the neck
E major — E F♯ G♯ A B C♯ D♯.
E Major (Ionian)
the plain major scaleNotesEF♯G♯ABC♯D♯
Chord-Scale Reference §2 / §7.5
Want more?
Hear these chords, change the key, and see every voicing in Turnaround