E major (E)
Six strings, three fingers: the biggest-sounding major chord on the guitar. With the open low E in the bass, it gives you a powerful foundation, all over rock and blues.
It’s played in open position, near the nut, and as a barre chord higher up the neck. It’s the home chord of the key of E major; you’ll also find it in B major and A major.
- Notes:
- E, G♯, B.
- Formula:
- 1, 3, 5.
- Difficulty:
- Beginner.
- Strings played:
- 6.
Chord diagram
e|--0--| B|--0--| G|--1--| D|--2--| A|--2--| E|--0--|
Other positions
e|--7--| B|--9--| G|--9--| D|--9--| A|--7--| E|--x--|
Common mistakes
G string not ringing? Your index finger, at the 1st fret on the G string, is lying too flat and touching the B string. Play on the tip, nicely arched.
Sounds messy? Your middle and ring fingers are crowding each other at the 2nd fret. Keep them right behind the fret and angle your ring finger slightly.
Variations
E7: lift your ring finger so the open D string rings and adds the seventh. Esus4: your index leaves the G string and your pinky goes down at the 2nd fret, for a tension that resolves back to E.
e|--0--| B|--0--| G|--1--| D|--0--| A|--2--| E|--0--|
e|--0--| B|--0--| G|--2--| D|--2--| A|--2--| E|--0--|
Heard in
Wild Thing (The Troggs) cycles through A, D and E. In a blues in A, E is the chord in bar 9, the one that sends the progression back around.
Often played with
The chords in its key, the ones you hear most often around E major.