Let’s take a look at the E major chord.
The E major scale consists of four sharps, but for the E chord, only one of these sharps (G sharp) is used. This chord is formed by combining the root note E, the major third, G# and the perfect fifth, B of the major scale. Like other major chords, the E maj chord is a triad, consisting of three notes.
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On your keyboard, G sharp is two tones away from (to the right of) E, while B is one and a half tones to the right of G sharp.
The diagram on the right shows you the E maj chord in its root position, 1st inversion and second inversion. In root position the notes of the E chord are in the order, E G# B. In the first inversion the notes are in the order G# B E, and in the second inversion the notes are B E G#.
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What is the fingering for an E Chord? Here’s the right hand fingering:
Firstly we look at the E maj chord in root position. Place your thumb on E, your middle finger on G sharp and your little finger on B. To play the chord play all three notes simultaneously.
To play the E maj chord in the 1st inversion, place your thumb on G#, your index finger on B, and your fifth finger on E. Press the notes simultaneously.
To play the E chord in the 2nd inversion move your thumb up to B, middle finger on E and little finger on G#. Press these notes simultaneously.
Video: How To Play E Maj Chord
The E major chord occurs naturally in the following keys:
- E major (chord I) / C# minor (chord III)
- A major (chord V) / F# minor (chord VII)
- B major (chord IV) / G# minor (chord VI)
E major is enharmonic with Fb major (F flat major). Chords which have the same sound but are written differently are said to be enharmonic. They have the same pitch but are written in different notation. On piano, the same keys are played to form E major and Fb major.
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