E Major Scale, Chords & Songs
E major (4 sharps) is rich and powerful on piano. Less common than C/G/D but heard often in rock guitar music adapted for keyboard. The bright, ringing quality suits anthemic ballads.
KEEP ON SINGIN' MY SONG, Christina Aguilera
E
KEEP ON SINGIN' MY SONG
Christina Aguilera
Medium E · ♩=72· 7 chords
OMIGOD YOU GUYS, Legally Blonde The Musical
E
OMIGOD YOU GUYS
Legally Blonde The Musical
Advanced E · ♩=120· 62 chords
The E Major scale
The E Major scale contains seven notes: E – F# – G# – A – B – C# – D#. Key signature: 4 sharps (F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯).
All notes in the E Major scale highlighted on the keyboard.
Diatonic chords in E Major
These seven chords are built on each scale degree. They're the natural chord palette for songs in E Major — most pop progressions like I-V-vi-IV use only these.
| Roman | Chord | Quality | Open |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | E | Major | Learn E → |
| ii | F#m | Minor | Learn F#m → |
| iii | G#m | Minor | Learn G#m → |
| IV | A | Major | Learn A → |
| V | B | Major | Learn B → |
| vi | C#m | Minor | Learn C#m → |
| vii° | D#dim | Diminished | Learn D#dim → |
Quick facts
- Key signature
- 4 sharps (F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯)
- Relative minor
- C♯ minor
- Difficulty on piano
- Intermediate — 4 sharps.
- Songs in our catalog
- Available in this key
Popular chord progressions in E Major
These famous progressions are built from the diatonic chords of E Major. Click any to learn the theory + see songs that use it.