Guitar chord · Triads
E major chord on guitar
022100 · Open position
All 6 shapes, tab & fingering ↓
6 ways to play E on guitar, with finger positions, tabs and step-by-step instructions.
Bright, stable and resolved — the foundation of most songs.
E is the I chord in E major, IV in B major and V in A major. In minor keys: III in C♯ minor, V in A minor, VI in G♯ minor and VII in F♯ minor.
- Notes
- EG♯B
- Formula
- 135
- Built from
- root · major 3rd · perfect 5th
Guitar
Standard tuning (E A D G B E) · 6 voicings · E string on the left · Other tunings →
How to play it · Open position
- 6th string (low E): play open E
- 5th string (A): 2nd fret, middle finger (2) B
- 4th string (D): 2nd fret, ring finger (3) E
- 3rd string (G): 1st fret, index finger (1) G♯
- 2nd string (B): play open B
- 1st string (high E): play open E
Tablature
e|--0---| B|--0---| G|--1---| D|--2---| A|--2---| E|--0---|
Top line is the high E string. x = don’t play, 0 = open string.
Every E note on the guitar neck
Bright dots are the selected voicing — the rest are other places you can find the same chord tones.
Tips for playing E on guitar
Middle and ring fingers on the 2nd fret of the A and D strings, index on the 1st fret of the G string, and strum all six (022100). Slide this same shape up the neck with a barre and you have every other major chord.
You’ll find E in common progressions such as E–B–C♯m–A (the pop progression in E major), E–A–B–A (three-chord rock in E major) and E–C♯m–A–B (the ’50s progression in E major).
Learning guitar? E is part of stage 5 (“E major and A major”) of our first guitar chords path.
