E guitar chord

E major · Emaj · EM

The E guitar chord is played 022100 in open position. Its notes are E, G# and B.

E open chord (022100)

Fingering: 022100
Fingers: – 2 3 1 – –
Difficulty: Easy
Position: open position

E chord at the 2nd fret (xx2454)

Fingering: xx2454
Fingers: – – 1 2 4 3
Difficulty: Medium
Position: 2nd fret

E barre chord, 4th fret (476454)

Fingering: 476454
Fingers: 1 4 3 1 2 1
Difficulty: Hard
Position: barre chord, 4th fret

E barre chord, 7th fret (779997)

Fingering: 779997
Fingers: 1 1 2 3 4 1
Difficulty: Hard
Position: barre chord, 7th fret

PNG PDF

Notes in the E major chord

The E chord is made of E · G♯ · B. Its formula is 1–3–5.

Note	Degree	Interval from E
E	1	root
G♯	3	major third
B	5	perfect fifth

How to play the E guitar chord

Second finger on the 2nd fret of the A string, third finger on the 2nd fret of the D string, first finger on the 1st fret of the G string. Strum all six strings.

It is Em with the first finger added. This shape is also the basis of the six-string barre chord: F, G and every major barre chord up the neck are this E shape moved.

Why your E chord buzzes or sounds muted

The first finger on the G string is what makes the chord major. If it lies flat it mutes the open B string next to it.

E barre chord

E has 2 barre shapes here: 476454 (barre at the 4th fret) and 779997 (barre at the 7th fret).

A barre shape has no open strings, so it moves. Slide any of them up one fret and you are playing F.

E open chord

The open E chord is 022100. It uses the open low E, B and high E strings, which is why it rings longer than the shapes higher up the neck.

Songs that use E

Stand by Me (Ben E. King): A F#m D E
Hotel California (Eagles): Bm F# A E G D Em
House of the Rising Sun (The Animals): Am C D F E
Three Little Birds (Bob Marley): A D E
Hey Joe (Jimi Hendrix): C G D A E
Get Lucky (Daft Punk): Bm D F#m E
Wicked Game (Chris Isaak): Bm A E
(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay (Otis Redding): G B C A E
I'm Yours (Jason Mraz): B F# G#m E
Jolene (Dolly Parton): C#m E B
Under the Bridge (Red Hot Chili Peppers): E B C#m G#m A
Wild Thing (The Troggs): A D E
Take Me Home, Country Roads (John Denver): A F#m E D
Folsom Prison Blues (Johnny Cash): E A B7

Chord names only, as the songs are usually charted for guitar. Recordings may use a capo or another key.

Keys with the E chord

E is the I chord in E major, V chord in A major and IV chord in B major. In minor keys it is the III chord in C# minor, VII chord in F# minor and VI chord in G# minor.

All major guitar chords

Every E chord on guitar

E guitar chord questions

How do you play an E chord on guitar?

Play 022100, reading from the low E string to the high E string. An x means the string is not played and a 0 means it rings open. The fingers used are - 2 3 1 - -.

What notes are in the E chord?

The E major chord has 3 notes: E, G# and B. Its formula is 1–3–5, counted from the E major scale.

What keys is the E chord in?