Piano chord
E major chord
E is a major triad: the root E, a major 3rd up to G♯ and a perfect 5th up to B.
- Symbol
- E
- Notes
- E – G♯ – B
Play it yourself
Tap E, G♯ and B on the keys below, in any order.
- E
- G♯
- B
Major chords sound bright and settled. They are the home chord of most pop, rock and folk songs, and the chord most people learn first.
Inversions of E
An inversion keeps the same notes but puts a different one at the bottom. Pianists use them to move between chords with less jumping.
- Root position
E – G♯ – B
- 1st inversion · E/G♯
G♯ – B – E
- 2nd inversion · E/B
B – E – G♯
Keys with E
E occurs naturally in these keys. The Roman numeral shows which step of the scale it is built on.