In this lesson you will learn how to play the E Major guitar chord, the 7 chords in the key of E as well as many popular songs to practice along with.
E Major is a great beginner guitar chord for 3 reasons:
- It requires 3 fingers but is a relatively easy shape to make
- It is a foundation of literally hundreds, if not thousands of popular songs
- You strum all 6 strings, so you don’t have to worry about stray notes or muting
How to Play the E Major Guitar Chord
If the above chart is foreign to you, check out our lesson on How to Read Guitar Chord Diagrams.
Be sure to strum all 6 strings when playing an E Major chord.
E Major Chord Fingering:
- Second (Middle) finger on the second fret of the A string
- Third (ring) finger on the second fret of the D string
- First (Index) finger on the first fret of the G string
Popular E Major Chord Progressions
Progression | Chords |
|---|---|
I-IV-V | E-A-B |
I-V-iv-IV | E-B-C#m-A |
Chords in the Key of E Major
E Major
F# minor
G# minor
A Major
B Major
C# Minor
D# Dim.
Read More on The Key of E Major
Popular Songs in E Major
Song | Progression | Chords | TAB |
|---|---|---|---|
"Mean" - Taylor Swift | I-V-vi-IV | E-B-C#m-A | |
"Beast of Burden" - The Rolling Stones | I-V-vi-IV | E-B-C#m-A | |
"Sweet Caroline" - Neil Diamond | Hmm... | E-A-D-A6-C#m-Bm-F#m | |
"Born In the USA" - Bruce Springsteen | I-V | E-B |
Placing my finger on the 2nd fret of the 5th string, finger on the 2nd fret of the 4th string and finger on the 1st fret of the 3rd string and I have an E chord. This is what tablature is all about. You’re making it very easy, for beginners to get the basics of tablature. For most people who don’t know how to read solfège, tablature is a great invention.
Hi Ann, thanks for your comment! I’m glad you found the lesson helpful and agree Tabs are a great invention for those who may not know how to read music.