Chords in the Key of E
The key of E major contains seven chords: E, F#m, G#m, A, B, C#m and D#dim. Every F, C, G and D in the key is sharpened, and most songs in E lean on E, A, B and C#m.
The seven chords on guitar
Each chord below opens its own page, with more shapes up the neck, audio for every voicing and a printable chart. Tap the play button on any card to hear it.
The seven chords on piano
The same seven chords on a keyboard, in root position. Each one opens its own page, with every inversion and the finger numbers for both hands.
IEE G♯ B 
the home chord
iiF#mF♯ A C♯ 
the gentle step up from home
iiiG#mG♯ B D♯ 
the darkest of the three minors
IVAA C♯ E 
the lift away from home
VBB D♯ F♯ 
the chord that pulls back home
viC#mC♯ E G♯ 
the relative minor
vii°D#dimE♭ G♭ A 
the tense one, used sparingly, filed as Ebdim
The seventh chords in E major
Add one more note to each chord and the key gains its seventh chords, which is where most jazz and a good deal of soul begins.
Common progressions in E major
- I - IV - V
E A B
Swap B for B7 and all three become open shapes. That substitution is why so much blues is written in E.
- I - V - vi - IV
E B C#m A
Two barres here, B and C#m. A capo at the fourth fret with C shapes gives the same key with none.
- I - vi - IV - V
E C#m A B
The fifties turnaround, and still the backbone of a lot of soul.
Why these seven chords
On a stave, E major is written with four sharps, F#, C#, G# and D#, which is how a reader knows the key before playing a note.
Four sharps puts E well round the circle of fifths, but the guitar does not care about the notation. E is the lowest open string, so the key sits right at the bottom of the instrument's range.
The majors are E, A and B. Of those only B needs a barre, and it is the chord that decides whether a song in E feels easy or not.
On guitar
E is the guitar's home key. The lowest string is an E, the open E chord uses all six strings, and everything rings. Rock and blues sit here more than anywhere else.
The problem chord is B. Many players substitute B7, which is an open shape and pulls back to E just as strongly, and that single swap makes the whole key playable in open position.
On piano
The E major scale uses four black keys, so the hand sits further into the keyboard than it does in C or G. The tonic chord E has its middle note, G#, on a black key.
It is a comfortable key for the right hand once learned, because the black keys under the second and third fingers give a natural hand position.
Questions about the key of E
What are the 7 chords in the key of E?
E, F#m, G#m, A, B, C#m and D#dim. E, A and B are major, F#m, G#m and C#m are minor, and D#dim is diminished.
Can I play the key of E without barre chords?
Mostly. E and A are open, and B can be replaced by the open B7 shape. The minors still need barres, so a song that leans on C#m or F#m will ask for one.
What is the relative minor of E major?
C# minor, with the same four sharps and the same seven chords.
What do the numbers next to each chord mean?
They are each chord's place in the key, written as Roman numerals. In E major the I is E, the IV is A and the V is B. The numbering holds in every key, so the V of C is G. That is why progressions get written as numerals like I, V, vi, IV: learn one and you have it in all twelve keys.
Why are some numerals capitals and some lowercase?
The case tells you the chord quality. Capitals are major, which in E major means E, A and B. Lowercase are minor: F#m, G#m and C#m. The small circle on vii° means diminished, and here that is D#dim.