Tools / Chords / E major

E chord on guitar (E major)

Also written E, Emaj or EM

E major contains the notes E, G♯, and B. The open shape uses all six strings and is a staple of rock and blues.

Open0-2-2-1-0-0

Positions on the neck1 of 5

How it’s built

E1Root

G♯3Major 3rd

B5Perfect 5th

Formula 1, 3, 5

Positions on the neck1 of 5

Inversions

The same three notes, with a different one in the bass.

Root positionE–G♯–BEBass E

First inversionG♯–B–EE/G♯Bass G♯

Second inversionB–E–G♯E/BBass B

Why it sounds like that

E major is built from the formula 1, 3, 5, with the major third G♯ giving it its bright quality. Compare it to E minor, which lowers the third to G.

What goes wrong with E major?

Touching the open B string with the ring finger and deadening it.
Not pressing the fretted notes hard enough, causing buzzing.

When to use it

E major is the tonic in E major, so it anchors progressions like E–A–B, the I–IV–V. It also appears in A major and B major keys. Use it for rock, blues, and country.

Changing to and from E major

From E major to A major, move the fingers to the A shape, keeping the index on the G string.
Sliding the shape up two frets to the 7th fret gives F♯ major.

Which voicing to use

The open position is the easiest and most common, with E in the bass. The 7th fret barre shape gives the same voicing higher up. For a different bass, use the E/G♯ inversion to put G♯ in the bass.

How do you play an E major chord on guitar?

Open

Beginner● On the diagram

E major is played in open position as 0 2 2 1 0 0: middle finger on the A string at fret 2, ring finger on the D string at fret 2 and index finger on the G string at fret 1. The low E, B and high e strings ring open.

Tip — The fingers must fit closely on the A, D, and G strings without touching the open strings.

String-by-string breakdown

String	Fret	Finger	Note
6 (E)	open	—	E (1)
5 (A)	2	2	B (5)
4 (D)	2	3	E (1)
3 (G)	1	1	G♯ (3)
2 (B)	open	—	B (5)
1 (e)	open	—	E (1)

7th fret

Barre

E major is played at the 7th fret as × 7 9 9 9 7: barre your index finger across fret 7, middle finger on the D string at fret 9, ring finger on the G string at fret 9 and pinky finger on the B string at fret 9. The low E string stays muted.

String-by-string breakdown

String	Fret	Finger	Note
6 (E)	muted	—	—
5 (A)	7	1 (barre)	E (1)
4 (D)	9	2	B (5)
3 (G)	9	3	E (1)
2 (B)	9	4	G♯ (3)
1 (e)	7	1 (barre)	B (5)

12th fret

Barre

E major is played at the 12th fret as 12 14 14 13 12 12: barre your index finger across fret 12, ring finger on the A string at fret 14, pinky finger on the D string at fret 14 and middle finger on the G string at fret 13.

String-by-string breakdown

String	Fret	Finger	Note
6 (E)	12	1 (barre)	E (1)
5 (A)	14	3	B (5)
4 (D)	14	4	E (1)
3 (G)	13	2	G♯ (3)
2 (B)	12	1 (barre)	B (5)
1 (e)	12	1 (barre)	E (1)

E/G♯ inversion · fret 2

Intermediate

E major is played at the 2nd fret as 4 2 2 4 × ×: ring finger on the low E string at fret 4, index finger on the A string at fret 2, middle finger on the D string at fret 2 and pinky finger on the G string at fret 4. The B and high e strings stay muted.

String-by-string breakdown

String	Fret	Finger	Note
6 (E)	4	3	G♯ (3)
5 (A)	2	1	B (5)
4 (D)	2	2	E (1)
3 (G)	4	4	B (5)
2 (B)	muted	—	—
1 (e)	muted	—	—

E/G♯ inversion · fret 4

Intermediate

E major is played at the 4th fret as × × 6 4 5 4: pinky finger on the D string at fret 6, index finger on the G string at fret 4, ring finger on the B string at fret 5 and middle finger on the high e string at fret 4. The low E and A strings stay muted.

String-by-string breakdown

String	Fret	Finger	Note
6 (E)	muted	—	—
5 (A)	muted	—	—
4 (D)	6	4	G♯ (3)
3 (G)	4	1	B (5)
2 (B)	5	3	E (1)
1 (e)	4	2	G♯ (3)

Common questions

How is E major written?

E major is written as E, Emaj, or EM. There is no alternate root spelling for E major.

What is the difference between E major and E minor?

E major has a major third (G♯), while E minor has a minor third (G). This changes the chord from bright to somber.

Why does the open E major shape use all six strings?

All six strings are chord tones, so they can all ring out. This gives the chord a full, rich sound.

String

Fret

Finger

Note

6 (E)

open

—

E (1)

5 (A)

B (5)

4 (D)

E (1)

3 (G)

G♯ (3)

2 (B)

open

—

B (5)

1 (e)

open

—

E (1)

String

Fret

Finger

Note

6 (E)

muted

—

5 (A)

1 (barre)

E (1)

4 (D)

B (5)

3 (G)

E (1)

2 (B)

G♯ (3)

1 (e)

1 (barre)

B (5)

String

Fret

Finger

Note

6 (E)

1 (barre)

E (1)

5 (A)

B (5)

4 (D)

E (1)

3 (G)

G♯ (3)

2 (B)

1 (barre)

B (5)

1 (e)

1 (barre)

E (1)

String

Fret

Finger

Note

6 (E)

G♯ (3)

5 (A)

B (5)

4 (D)

E (1)

3 (G)

B (5)

2 (B)

muted

—

1 (e)

muted

—

String

Fret

Finger

Note

6 (E)

muted

—

5 (A)

muted

—

4 (D)

G♯ (3)

3 (G)

B (5)

2 (B)

E (1)

1 (e)

G♯ (3)