The 7 chords
E · F#m · G#m · A · B · C#m · D#dim
Every major key follows the same pattern: major, minor, minor, major, major, minor, diminished.
Chord chart
E Major chord chart
| Degree | Numeral | Chord | Notes | 7th chord | Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | I | E | E – G# – B | Emaj7 | Tonic |
| 2 | ii | F#m | F# – A – C# | F#m7 | Supertonic |
| 3 | iii | G#m | G# – B – D# | G#m7 | Mediant |
| 4 | IV | A | A – C# – E | Amaj7 | Subdominant |
| 5 | V | B | B – D# – F# | B7 | Dominant |
| 6 | vi | C#m | C# – E – G# | C#m7 | Submediant |
| 7 | vii° | D#dim | D# – F# – A | D#m7b5 | Leading tone |
E major scale: E – F# – G# – A – B – C# – D#. Key signature: 4 sharps (F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯).
Progressions
Common chord progressions in E Major
The pop progression
I – V – vi – IV
- IE
- VB
- viC#m
- IVA
The four-chord loop behind a huge share of modern pop, rock and worship songs.
Three-chord progression
I – IV – V – I
- IE
- IVA
- VB
- IE
The three primary chords, I, IV and V — the backbone of blues, folk, country and early rock and roll.
Minor-start loop
vi – IV – I – V
- viC#m
- IVA
- IE
- VB
The pop progression started on the vi. Same four chords, but opening on the minor chord makes the loop sound darker.
50s progression
I – vi – IV – V
- IE
- viC#m
- IVA
- VB
The doo-wop progression of 1950s ballads, and still one of the most common loops in songwriting.
ii – V – I
ii7 – V7 – Imaj7
- ii7F#m7
- V7B7
- Imaj7Emaj7
The jazz cadence, played with 7th chords as it almost always is. The single most common move in jazz standards.
Canon progression
I – V – vi – iii – IV – I – IV – V
- IE
- VB
- viC#m
- iiiG#m
- IVA
- IE
- IVA
- VB
The eight-chord sequence of Pachelbel's Canon, borrowed by countless pop songs since.
Want more? Generate a progression in E Major by style, or build your own in the Chord Progression Player.
7th chords
7th chords in the key of E Major
Add the next note of the scale on top of each chord and you get its diatonic 7th chord — the sound of jazz, soul and R&B in E major.
On guitar
Playing in E Major on guitar
2 of the 7 chords are open chords (E, A); F#m, G#m, B, C#m, D#dim need a barre or a moveable shape. A capo lets you swap those for open shapes:
Capo 4 + C major shapes
Finger C, Dm, Em, F, G, Am, Bdim — they sound as E, F#m, G#m, A, B, C#m, D#dim. 5 of the 7 shapes are open chords.
See the C major chordsCapo 2 + D major shapes
Finger D, Em, F#m, G, A, Bm, C#dim — they sound as E, F#m, G#m, A, B, C#m, D#dim. 4 of the 7 shapes are open chords.
See the D major chords
Scales for soloing in E Major
Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
The key of E major has seven chords: E, F#m, G#m, A, B, C#m and D#dim. Each is built from the notes of the E major scale (E F# G# A B C# D#), so all seven share one key signature: 4 sharps (F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯).
E, A and B — the I, IV and V chords. Those three contain every note of the E major scale between them, which is why so many songs in E major use little else.
C# minor. It uses the same seven chords and the same key signature as E major; the difference is which chord feels like home. A song that keeps returning to C#m is in C# minor; one that settles on E is in E major.
4 sharps (F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯). E major shares its key signature with its relative minor, C# minor.
B, the V chord. Its 7th chord, B7, is the only dominant 7th in the key, and B7 → E is the strongest way to end a song in E major.
Emaj7, F#m7, G#m7, Amaj7, B7, C#m7 and D#m7b5. Each adds the next note of the scale on top of the triad, which gives two major 7ths, three minor 7ths, one dominant 7th and one half-diminished (m7♭5).
Stacking the scale notes on D# gives D#, F#, A: a minor 3rd and then another minor 3rd, so the 5th is flattened. It is the least-used chord in the key — songs often skip it, or use B7 where it would go.
Use a capo. Only 2 of the 7 chords in E major are open chords, but with a capo on fret 4 you can play C major shapes (C, Dm, Em, F, G, Am and Bdim) and they sound in E major. 5 of those shapes are open chords.
Related Tools
Circle of FifthsSee every key, its relative minor and its neighbours on one wheelKey FinderPaste a progression and detect its key with Roman numeral analysisChord Progression GeneratorPick a key and style to generate a diatonic progressionCapo CalculatorFind the capo position to play any key with open shapes