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Four sharps — F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯

Chords in the Key of E Major

The guitar’s heaviest key — anchored on the lowest open string.

The Tonic
Tonic
E
I · Tonic
1
The Other Six Diatonic Chords
ii2
F#m
Supertonic
iii3
G#m
Mediant
IV4
A
Subdominant
V5
B
Dominant
vi6
C#m
Submediant
vii°7
D#dim
Leading Tone
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Load the key of E Major onto the fretboard.

See how all seven chords sit together, and hear what makes each degree do its job.

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Questions about the key of E Major

What are the 7 chords in the key of E Major?

The key of E Major contains E, F#m, G#m, A, B, C#m, D#dim. In Roman numerals that's I, ii, iii, IV, V, vi, vii° — the tonic (E) is home, and the dominant (B) creates the tension that resolves back to it.

Why does the key of E sound so powerful on guitar?

Because the guitar's lowest string is an E. The tonic sits right at the bottom of the instrument's range, so E chords ring with more low-end weight and sustain than anything else — which is precisely why so much rock and blues is written there.

Related keys

A MajorKeyD MajorKey