What is a e chord on guitar?
The E major chord on guitar is one of the first, and most important, chords to learn.
Here’s how to get started:
You can see, you just need three fingers, and you’ll be playing all six strings:
How to play a E Major chord on the guitar
The most common progression you’ll likely see with E Major is going from E, to A, to B, or I, IV, V.
Adding in the minor six chord (C#m), you have the classic I V iv IV pattern:
Beast of Burden, by The Rolling Stones is a great example:
As is Mean, by Taylor Swift:
If you’re playing E Major, you should make sure you know two other key chords to play alongside it—A, and B7:
And don’t miss our easy videos that teach you how to play C# minor—another chord you’ll find handy with these three:
If you’ve come to this page just to view some chord diagrams for E, here they are.
The most common way to play the E chord is in the open position. This is one of the most commonly used chord shapes and one of the first ones that most guitarists learn.
The easiest version of the E chord is essentially a mini version of the standard, open E chord. It uses the first three strings of the guitar and only involves one finger (as well as open strings). These mini chords can be a great way to get started when learning the guitar, as they allow you to play chord songs without learning full (and sometimes difficult shapes).
The instructions above are step by step instructions for playing the open E Major chord shape. These instructions can actually be super helpful when you feel like you’re interpreting the shape incorrectly. By going through the E chord instructions step by step, you can verify that you’re playing the chord correctly.
The E chord can be played as a barre chord by playing a root 6 barre chord shape and starting on the 12th fret or by playing a root 5 barre chord Major shape and starting on the 7th fret:
Most of the time, when we play the E chord, we play the standard shapes, such as the open position E and the barre chord shapes. However, learning the strict root position and inverted triads is a great way of exploring subtle and interesting variations that exist across the fretboard. The E Major triad can be voiced in the following three ways:
Here are six different ways to play the E Major triad (including inversions).
The E chord can be found in the following keys:
The following shapes are alternative ways of playing the E Major chord shape. They’re not the most common E shapes, but used enough to include here as interesting alternatives.
The E chord can often be substituted with the E sus 4 chord, the E sus 2 chord and the E add 9 chord. The E chord can also be used itself as a substitute for more complicated chords, such as the E Major 7 chord, the E7 chord, and other extension chords which have E as the root note (it can’t be used in place of minor chords though!).
The most common and effective scales that can be used to solo/improvise over the E Major chord, or to create melodies for the purposes of song writing are:
The E chord is one of the most basic major chords that beginners will learn to play. Also known as an E major chord, it’s a foundation chord in many rock, pop and country songs. Played in standard E tuning, this chord has a bright, upbeat sound any way you play it.
And make no mistake, there are multiple ways to play it.
The only hard-and-fast rule of playing an E chord is that you hit all six strings in your strumming pattern, regardless of whether you’re playing a simplified version of the chord, or using a more complex finger pattern.
Let’s take a look at the basic way you can play an E chord.
Once you’ve mastered the easy version of the E chord, it’s time to step up your game.
This is actually one of the most common ways to play the E chord. In this version, you’ll use your middle finger and ring finger to produce a thicker, meatier sounding E chord.
Here’s one way play it in the open position:
Be sure to hit all six strings as you strum downward from the low E string.
Playing this standard version of the E chord gives you a rich, more sound made up of the following notes: E, B, E, G#, B, E.
From iconic rock riffs to some of the earliest known songs, the E chord has made an appearance in a number of instantly-recognizable tunes. See a list of several hits that use the E chord below.
Arguably, two of the most memorable songs in rock history feature the E chord in their composition: “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” from the Rolling Stones and “Rock and Roll All Nite” by Kiss.
Listen for the E chord on ZZ Top’s classic single, “Legs.” It also weaves itself into the psychedelic sound of Tame Impala’s “Feels Like We Only Go Backwards.”
Is acoustic rock more your jam? A jangly E chord makes its way into the mix on U2’s iconic “Desire.”
A number of classic folk songs make use of the E chord, including one of the earliest known pieces of music. “Greensleeves,” an English folk ballad, dates back to before the 16th century and features the chord prominently.
A much more recent example of the chord’s usage is Fleet Foxes’ “White Winter Hymnal.”
One of the most popular pop songs of all time, the Beach Boys’ “Good Vibrations” makes use of a bright, peppy E chord in its composition. Fast-forward to a more modern pop-rock sound, and “Yellow” by Coldplay also includes a basic E.
Whether you prefer your country with a grittier twang (like George Strait’s “All My Ex's Live in Texas”) or the genre’s more modern pop/rock-flavored sound, you’re bound to see an E pop up in a country chord progression.
Regardless of your preference for new or classic country, strong female performers have always been a mainstay. The Patsy Cline classic “I Fall to Pieces,” “Little Red Wagon” by Miranda Lambert and the impassioned storytelling of Reba McEntire’s “In the Midnight Hour” and Otis Redding’s “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay.” Both songs straddle the line between rock and blues and both work an E chord into their chord patterns. For a more recent example of this hybrid sound, try strumming to the stomper "S.O.B.” by Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats for an exercise that includes the E chord.
Continuing the link between blues and rock, many old school blues songs were later re-popularized by rock legends, including Johnny Burnette’s “Train Kept a Rollin’” (which was covered by Aerosmith) and “Hey Joe” by Billy Roberts, a track made famous by Jimi Hendrix.
If you’re a purist who wants to stick to a more traditional blues style, try your hand at Robert Petway’s “Catfish Blues” (also covered by Hendrix, as well as legendary bluesman Muddy Waters) and Bo Diddley’s “Who Do You Love.” Both songs feature the E chord in their construction.
Learning any chord takes practice. Once you get the standard version of E down, it can open a world of songs for you. Get tips for perfecting your technique and start playing some of the songs from Fender Play here.
The E chord is one of the most basic major chords that beginners will learn to play. Also known as an E major chord, it’s a foundation chord in many rock, pop and country songs. Played in standard E tuning, this chord has a bright, upbeat sound any way you play it.
And make no mistake, there are multiple ways to play it.
The only hard-and-fast rule of playing an E chord is that you hit all six strings in your strumming pattern, regardless of whether you’re playing a simplified version of the chord, or using a more complex finger pattern.
Let’s take a look at the basic way you can play an E chord.
Once you’ve mastered the easy version of the E chord, it’s time to step up your game.
This is actually one of the most common ways to play the E chord. In this version, you’ll use your middle finger and ring finger to produce a thicker, meatier sounding E chord.
Here’s one way play it in the open position:
Be sure to hit all six strings as you strum downward from the low E string.
Playing this standard version of the E chord gives you a rich, more sound made up of the following notes: E, B, E, G#, B, E.
From iconic rock riffs to some of the earliest known songs, the E chord has made an appearance in a number of instantly-recognizable tunes. See a list of several hits that use the E chord below.
Arguably, two of the most memorable songs in rock history feature the E chord in their composition: “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” from the Rolling Stones and “Rock and Roll All Nite” by Kiss.
Listen for the E chord on ZZ Top’s classic single, “Legs.” It also weaves itself into the psychedelic sound of Tame Impala’s “Feels Like We Only Go Backwards.”
Is acoustic rock more your jam? A jangly E chord makes its way into the mix on U2’s iconic “Desire.”
A number of classic folk songs make use of the E chord, including one of the earliest known pieces of music. “Greensleeves,” an English folk ballad, dates back to before the 16th century and features the chord prominently.
A much more recent example of the chord’s usage is Fleet Foxes’ “White Winter Hymnal.”
One of the most popular pop songs of all time, the Beach Boys’ “Good Vibrations” makes use of a bright, peppy E chord in its composition. Fast-forward to a more modern pop-rock sound, and “Yellow” by Coldplay also includes a basic E.
Whether you prefer your country with a grittier twang (like George Strait’s “All My Ex's Live in Texas”) or the genre’s more modern pop/rock-flavored sound, you’re bound to see an E pop up in a country chord progression.
Regardless of your preference for new or classic country, strong female performers have always been a mainstay. The Patsy Cline classic “I Fall to Pieces,” “Little Red Wagon” by Miranda Lambert and the impassioned storytelling of Reba McEntire’s “In the Midnight Hour” and Otis Redding’s “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay.” Both songs straddle the line between rock and blues and both work an E chord into their chord patterns. For a more recent example of this hybrid sound, try strumming to the stomper "S.O.B.” by Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats for an exercise that includes the E chord.
Continuing the link between blues and rock, many old school blues songs were later re-popularized by rock legends, including Johnny Burnette’s “Train Kept a Rollin’” (which was covered by Aerosmith) and “Hey Joe” by Billy Roberts, a track made famous by Jimi Hendrix.
If you’re a purist who wants to stick to a more traditional blues style, try your hand at Robert Petway’s “Catfish Blues” (also covered by Hendrix, as well as legendary bluesman Muddy Waters) and Bo Diddley’s “Who Do You Love.” Both songs feature the E chord in their construction.
Learning any chord takes practice. Once you get the standard version of E down, it can open a world of songs for you. Get tips for perfecting your technique and start playing some of the songs from Fender Play here.
How to play a E Major chord on the guitar. Put your first finger on the first fret of the third string. Put your second finger on the second fret of the fifth string. Put your third finger on the second fret of the fourth string. Play all six strings.
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