Play E Major Chord Piano, Inversion And Notes

E, G, and a perfect fifth constitute the E major chord (B). You’ll know how to play an E major chord if you’ve studied the preceding lessons on C, F, and G major chords. We always put our right thumb on the root note when finding a chord. 

In this article, let’s explore E Major to become a pro in e major chord piano. Like other tonal chords, it begins with its root note, E, and is a triad.

How To Play E Major Chord Piano

Follow the below steps to play e major chord piano.

  • Put your thumb on E, middle finger on G sharp, and little finger on B on the piano keyboard.
  • For a full sound of the chord, play all three notes simultaneously.
  • To play the E major chord in its first inversion, put your thumb on the G# string, your index finger on the B string, and your fifth finger on the E string.
  • While doing so, press the notes simultaneously.
E Major Chord

Let’s try working intuitively initially. Our fifth finger will probably strike the B note since if we wanted to keep to the plan, we would probably play E-G-B with the 1,3,5 finger. That’s how we discovered the prior chord.

These are the notes that, when strung together, form an E major chord.

So if you press the E-G# and B notes, it will sound perfect. The result will be a minor third (one and a half tones) because of the interval created by the distance between G# and B., a chord in the key of E major.

E Major Chord

Notes In An E Chord

E, G-sharp, and B are the notes that make up the E major triad, sometimes referred to more generally as the E major chord or the E chord for short.

It is claimed that a chord is arpeggiated when the notes that make up the chord are played one after the other in order. The following fingerings are the standard for arpeggios based on the E chord. You must get familiar with these fingerings!

If the note E, which is the root of the E chord, is the bass note (also known as the bottom note), then the chord is said to be in the root position:

 e major chord
e major chord

The chord is considered to be in the first inversion when the bottom note is the chord’s third, which is the sharp G:

e major chord
e major chord

The chord is said to be in the second inversion when the bass note is the chord’s fifth, not B. (Note B is referred to as the chord’s fifth because the interval that stretches from the root note E to B is a fifth.):

e major chord
e major chord

E Chord Piano Finger Position

First, let’s investigate the E major chord played in the root position. Put your thumb on E, middle finger on G sharp, and little finger on B on the piano keyboard. For a full sound of the chord, play all three notes simultaneously.

To play the E major chord in its first inversion, put your thumb on the G# string, your index finger on the B string, and your fifth finger on the E string. While doing so, press the notes simultaneously.

When playing the E chord in its second inversion, slide your thumb up to the B position, then place your middle finger on E and your little finger on G#. While doing so, press these notes simultaneously.

The following keys naturally include the E major chord in their tonal structure:

  • E major (chord I) / C# minor (chord III)
  • A major (chord V) / F# minor (chord VII)
  • B major (chord IV) / G# minor (chord VI)

There is no dissonance between E major and Fb major (F flat major). The term “enharmonic” refers to chords that have the same sound but are written differently. Even though they are written using different notations, they have the same pitch. Both E major and Fb may be formed by playing identical keys on the piano.

E Chord Piano Inversions

  • Root Position
e major chord
e major chord

Locate the note E at the bottom of the scale to begin playing an E major chord. Keyboard black keys cluster in twos and threes. A group of two black keys to the right of the E key indicate that it is the fourth group.

The notes E, G, and B form the E major scale. This chord may be played using the following fingers in its root position:

  • B – Fifth finger (5)
  • G♯ – Third finger (3)
  • E – First finger (1)

To play the chord at the root position on the left hand, you need to use the following fingers:

  • B – First finger (1)
  • G♯ – Third finger (3)
  • E – Fifth finger (5)

Some pieces of music may need you to utilize fingers differently than those typically used to play E major, which may change how you approach playing that key. 

  • First Inversion 
e major chord
e major chord

Putting a G below the other notes in an E major chord creates the first inversion. This chord is played using the following fingers on the right hand:

  • E – Fifth finger (5)
  • B – Second finger (2)
  • G♯ – First finger (1)
  • Second Inversion 
e major chord
e major chord

In the second inversion, B is the lowest note of E major. To play the chord with your right hand, use the following fingers:

  • G♯ – Fifth finger (5)
  • E – Third finger (3)
  • B – First finger (1)

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the e major chord on piano?

In the key of E major, here are some frequent chord progressions to work on:

  • I – IV – V : E major – A major – B major
  • I – vi – IV – V : E major – C♯ minor – A major – B major
  • I – vi – ii – V : E major – C♯ minor – F♯ minor – B major
  • IV – vii – iii – vi – ii – V – I: A major – D♯ diminished – G♯ minor – C♯ minor – F♯ minor – B major – E major

2. How do you play an e major chord on piano?

To play the chord with the piano’s right hand, put the first finger on the B key, the third finger on the E key, and the fifth finger on the G note. Place your fifth finger on the B key, your second finger on the E key, and your first finger on the G key on the piano so that you may play the chord with your left hand.

3. What notes makeup e major chord?

The E, G, and B constitute the notes of a major chord in the key of E. Always remember that the formula for scale degrees is 1 + 3 + 5 and that the intervallic pattern for each major chord is a major third (4 half steps or semitones) followed by a minor third (3 half steps or semitones).

4. What are the chords in the key of e major?

E major’s triad chords are E major, F# minor, G# minor, A major, B major, C# minor, and D# reduced. Chords in E major, F# minor, G# minor, A major, B dominant, C# minor, and D# minor seventh flat five are the four-note chords that make up the scale.

Final Thought:

Having a trained musical ear makes problems like these much simpler to resolve. Keep at it until you get it right.

If it doesn’t do the trick, you can always count the beats to ensure your ears aren’t playing tricks on you.

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