Guitar scale · Ionian mode
E Major Scale
Bright, balanced major scale forming the foundation of Western music and pop/rock.
Tap any note to hear it.
E Major Scale tab: all 5 positions
Each tab climbs from the low E string to the high e string. Play it up, then back down.
e|-----------------------------0-2-4-| B|-------------------------2-4-------| G|-------------------1-2-4-----------| D|-------------1-2-4-----------------| A|-------0-2-4-----------------------| E|-0-2-4-----------------------------|
e|-----------------------------2-4-5-| B|-------------------------4-5-------| G|-------------------2-4-6-----------| D|-------------2-4-6-----------------| A|-------2-4-6-----------------------| E|-2-4-5-----------------------------|
e|-----------------------------4-5-7-| B|-------------------------5-7-------| G|-------------------4-6-8-----------| D|-------------4-6-7-----------------| A|-------4-6-7-----------------------| E|-4-5-7-----------------------------|
e|----------------------------------7-9-11-| B|-----------------------------9-10--------| G|----------------------8-9-11-------------| D|---------------7-9-11--------------------| A|--------7-9-11---------------------------| E|-7-9-11----------------------------------|
e|---------------------------------------9-11-12-| B|---------------------------------10-12---------| G|-------------------------9-11-13---------------| D|-----------------9-11-13-----------------------| A|---------9-11-12-------------------------------| E|-9-11-12---------------------------------------|
How to play E Major on guitar
Find the root first: E is at fret 0 on the low E string and fret 7 on the A string. The blue notes on the diagram are every E on the neck; the gold ones are the rest of the scale's home chord (3, 5, 7), the safest notes to land on at the end of a phrase.
Learn it one box at a time. Position 1, the E shape, sits at frets 0–4. Once it's under your fingers, move to position 2 (the D shape) and play the notes the two boxes share, then keep going up the neck. After all five, the scale joins up into one pattern across the whole fretboard.
E major shares all its notes with C# minor, its relative minor. See the C# Minor Scale.
Degrees
| Degree | Note |
|---|---|
| 1 | E |
| 2 | F# |
| 3 | G# |
| 4 | A |
| 5 | B |
| 6 | C# |
| 7 | D# |
Chords in E Major
Stack every other note of the scale and you get these seven chords. They are the chords that sound "at home" in E Major; tap one to see its shapes.
| Degree | Chord | 7th chord | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | E | Emaj7 | Tonic |
| ii | F#m | F#m7 | Supertonic |
| iii | G#m | G#m7 | Mediant |
| IV | A | Amaj7 | Subdominant |
| V | B | B7 | Dominant |
| vi | C#m | C#m7 | Submediant |
| vii° | D#dim | D#m7b5 | Leading tone / subtonic |
Fretwise · Free on iPhone & Android
Practise E Major anywhere, even offline.
This page is a small slice of Fretwise. The app adds practice: exercises that play as tab, a new routine every day, and the tools to tune and keep time. On iPhone, iPad and Android, no sign-up.
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- 65 scales and 56 chord types in every key, with CAGED shapes
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- Maqam & makam between the frets, and the Name the Note quiz
One purchase
- 282 exercises that play as tab, and routines with a speed trainer
- Chord & Scale Finder: tap the neck, get the name
- Theory Lab and the Progression Builder with 51 genre loops
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Questions
- What notes are in the E Major Scale?
- The E Major Scale has 7 notes: E, F#, G#, A, B, C#, D#.
- What chords are in the E Major Scale?
- The chords of E Major are E (I), F#m (ii), G#m (iii), A (IV), B (V), C#m (vi), D#dim (vii°).
- What is the formula of the major scale?
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7, which is the step pattern W W H W W W H (W = whole step, H = half step).
- Where do I play E Major on the guitar?
- The root E is at fret 0 on the low E string and fret 7 on the A string. Position 1 (the E shape) covers frets 0–4, and four more positions connect it up the neck.