E E major chord
- Notes
- E G# B
- Formula
- 1 3 5
- Semitones
- 0 4 7 above the root
- Other symbols
- EM, Emaj
E to G# is a major third (4 semitones), G# to B is a minor third (3 semitones). The major triad: a major third with a minor third on top, the tonic chord of the key of E major.
E on the piano
Root position from E4: E4, G#4, B4. Middle C is C4.
E on the guitar
Standard tuning (E A D G B E). Strings run low E on the left to high e on the right, frets downwards; × is a muted string, ○ an open string, and each dot shows the note it sounds, with the root in blue-green. Every shape below has E as its lowest note.
0 2 2 1 0 0 (low E to high e)
Sounds E2 B2 E3 G#3 B3 E4
x 7 9 9 9 7 (low E to high e)
Sounds E3 B3 E4 G#4 B4
The barre shapes are movable: an E-shape chord's root is the note under your first finger on the low E string, an A-shape chord's root is the note on the A string. Slide the same grip up or down to play major chords on other roots.
Inversions of E
An inversion puts a note other than the root in the bass. The name is what semicord's chord finder calls those notes played bottom to top; a slash name like C/E means a C chord with E in the bass.
| Position | Notes, bass first | Named | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Root position | E G# B | E | |
| 1st inversion | G# B E | E/G# | |
| 2nd inversion | B E G# | E/B |
Where E fits
E is I in E major, IV in B major, V in A major, V in A minor. As V in a minor key it comes from the harmonic minor scale, whose raised seventh degree is this chord's third, G#.