Guitar chord · Open shape · Standard tuning
E major guitar chord (E)
Place finger 2 on the 2nd fret of the A, finger 3 on the 2nd fret of the D, finger 1 on the 1st fret of the G. Strum all six strings.
E – G♯ – B
Loop strum: down, down-up, up-down-up on 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &.
Next moves
3 fingers, 6 strings, chart notation 022100. Tap the chord box to hear it strummed, then play it string by string to check every note is ringing cleanly.
How to play E
Finger numbers run 1 for the index to 4 for the little finger. String names are given as players say them — the low E is the thickest string (the 6th) and the high E is the thinnest (the 1st).
- 1st finger (index) — 1st fret, G string
- 2nd finger (middle) — 2nd fret, A string
- 3rd finger (ring) — 2nd fret, D string
- Play open: low E (6th), B (2nd) and high E (1st) — strum them without fretting anything.
- Strum all six strings. Nothing is muted in this shape, so the chord should ring from the low E right through to the high E.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note it sounds |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6th — low E | Open | — | E |
| 5th — A | 2nd fret | 2 (middle) | B |
| 4th — D | 2nd fret | 3 (ring) | E |
| 3rd — G | 1st fret | 1 (index) | G♯ |
| 2nd — B | Open | — | B |
| 1st — high E | Open | — | E |
Notes and intervals in E
E is built from 3 notes: E, G♯ and B.
- E — the root
- G♯ — the major 3rd
- B — the perfect 5th
Across the six strings the shape sounds E · B · E · G♯ · B · E from low to high, so some notes are doubled in different octaves — that is what gives an open guitar chord its width compared with the same chord on a keyboard.
What E is used for
E is the biggest sounding open chord: all six strings ring and the lowest of them is the root. It is the I chord in E and the V of A, and its shape is the template for every major barre chord — the F barre is this exact pattern with the index finger standing in for the nut.
Common mistakes with E
- The index finger deadening the open B string. It only needs the 1st fret of the G string, so keep it arched.
- Rolling the middle and ring fingers flat so the D string chokes off.
- Squeezing far harder than the chord needs. E rings freely — pick each string one at a time before strumming and you will find you can relax.
A first strum pattern
Count “1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &” — eighth notes (quavers). Strum down, down-up, up-down-up: down on 1, down on 2, up on the “&” of 2, up on the “&” of 3, down on 4, up on the “&” of 4. Keep your hand moving down and up all the time, and only touch the strings on the marked counts.
Start the strum loop above at 60–70 BPM and change chords on beat 1.
E major FAQ
How do you play E major on guitar?
Place finger 2 on the 2nd fret of the A, finger 3 on the 2nd fret of the D, finger 1 on the 1st fret of the G. Strum all six strings. In chart notation it is 022100, low E string first.
What notes are in E major?
E, G♯ and B: the root, the major 3rd and the perfect 5th.
What chord comes after E major?
Common changes from E major: A major and B dominant 7. Practice the switch slowly with the strum loop, then speed it up.
Guitar chord data last updated . Every diagram here, in the printable PDF and in the chart image comes from one dataset, so the paper and the screen cannot disagree.