Piano chord

E Major Piano Chord

The E Major chord on piano is made of the notes E, G♯ and B. Bright, happy, and stable. The most common chord type.

E Major chord on a piano keyboard: E, G♯, B C5C6 E G♯ B

E E – G♯ – B

Tap any key to hear it.

Name any chord from its keys in the chord finder →

What notes are in E Major?

3 notes, built 1 – 3 – 5 up from E.

Notes
E – G♯ – B
Formula
1 – 3 – 5
Semitones from the root
0 – 4 – 7
Symbol
E
Chord type
Major, 3 notes

How to play E Major on piano

  • Right hand: E (1), G♯ (3), B (5). Fingers 1 – 3 – 5, thumb on E.
  • Left hand: E (5), G♯ (3), B (1). Fingers 5 – 3 – 1, little finger on E.

Fingers are numbered 1 (thumb) to 5 (little finger) on both hands.

Advertisement

E Major inversions

Each inversion puts a different note of the chord in the bass. Written as a slash chord: E/G♯, E/B.

E Major root position on piano: E, G♯, B E G♯ B
Root position E E – G♯ – B RH 1 – 3 – 5 · LH 5 – 3 – 1
E Major 1st inversion on piano: G♯, B, E G♯ B E
1st inversion E/G♯ G♯ – B – E RH 1 – 2 – 5 · LH 5 – 3 – 1
E Major 2nd inversion on piano: B, E, G♯ B E G♯
2nd inversion E/B B – E – G♯ RH 1 – 3 – 5 · LH 5 – 2 – 1

Progressions with E Major

Press play: the chords move across the keyboard as they sound, voiced so your hand barely moves.

Pop progression

in E major

  1. I E
  2. V B
  3. vi C♯m
  4. IV A
Pop progression in E major: E, B, C♯m, A B E G♯

Three-chord classic

in B major

  1. I B
  2. IV E
  3. V F♯
  4. I B
Three-chord classic in B major: B, E, F♯, B B D♯ F♯

Can you find E Major?

Tap the notes on the keyboard, then check. Six chords, starting with this one.

1 / 6 Tap the notes of E Major (E)

Score 0

Any octave, any order. Each key you tap plays.

Practice keyboard: tap the notes of the chord

What key is E Major in?

The keys whose scale contains every note of E, with the chord’s Roman numeral in each.

Major keys

  • E majorI
  • B majorIV
  • A majorV

Minor keys

  • C♯ minorIII
  • A minorV (harmonic minor)
  • G♯ minorVI
  • F♯ minorVII

E Major chord FAQ

What notes are in the E Major chord?

E Major has 3 notes: E, G♯ and B. Its formula is 1 – 3 – 5, counted up from E.

How do you play E Major on the piano?

Put your right thumb on E and play E, G♯ and B with fingers 1 – 3 – 5. With the left hand, use fingers 5 – 3 – 1, little finger on E.

What are the inversions of E Major?

1st inversion: G♯, B, E (E/G♯). 2nd inversion: B, E, G♯ (E/B).

What key is E Major in?

E belongs to E major (I), B major (IV), A major (V), C♯ minor (III), G♯ minor (VI) and F♯ minor (VII).

Other E chords

Major chords on every root

Piano chord chart: all 264 chords Open E in the chord finder Free PDF chord chart Play it on the virtual piano