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Chord progression · E major

Three-chord rock (I–IV–V–IV) in E major

The three primary chords of a key — the backbone of rock ’n’ roll, folk, country and punk. Learn this and you can play along with thousands of songs.

Heard in “La Bamba” – Ritchie Valens, “Twist and Shout” – The Isley Brothers and many more.

Chords in E major
E→A→B→A
Numerals
IIVVIV

Play along

4 bars of 4 beats, looping · pick a key above to transpose

1EI
2AIV
3BV
4AIV

Strum pattern: ↓   ↓↑  ↑↓↑ (down, down-up, up-down-up) — count “1 2 & 3 & 4 &”. Learn this strum →

The chords

I E
E2B3E1G♯BE
1G♯4EE2B
C4EBC5G♯E G♯ B
IV A
×A1E2A3C♯E
2A1C♯EA
C4EAC5C♯A/E
V B
×1B2F♯3B4D♯1F♯
3B2D♯1F♯1B
C4BC5D♯F♯B/D♯

Piano voicings use inversions so each chord is as close as possible to the one before — your hand barely moves. Switch to “Root position” to compare.

I–IV–V–IV in every key

CD♭DE♭EFF♯GA♭AB♭B

More progressions in E major

I–V–vi–IVI–vi–IV–Vvi–IV–I–V12-bar bluesii–V–II–vi–ii–VI–V–vi–iii–IV–I–IV–VI–♭VII–IV–I