All chords › E

E Guitar Chords

51 chord types built on E, from the plain triad through to the extended and altered shapes — 928 playable voicings in total, every one with its fingering marked.

86% of the E shapes here (800 of 928) let at least one string ring open, so a lot of them sound fuller than the barre versions and are easier to hold. As a key centre, E is the I chord; it also turns up as the IV of A and the V of B.

The five you will reach for first

The five shapes every player meets first: the plain major and minor triads, the power chord, and the two triads that alter the fifth. Between them these 5 chords account for 98 of the 928 E shapes on this site.

Jump to: E · Em · E5 · Eaug · Edim

E

EG#B
22 shapes · open & play
O
O
O
2
3
1
O
X
X
O
O
1
X
X
O
O
2
1
O
O
1
2
3
4
X
X
O
1
3
4
O
X
X
X
O
4
1
O
X
O
O
4
3
1
X
4
4
3
1
2
1
O
X
X
O
O
6
1
X
O
7
1
2
3
4
X
7
1
2
3
4
1
O
O
9
3
1
1
1
O
O
O
9
3
1
1
O
X
X
O
O
11
1
O
12
3
4
2
1
1
O
O
12
3
4
2
1
O
12
1
3
4
2
1
O
O
12
3
4
2
1
O
O
12
1
3
4
2
12
1
3
4
2
1
1
X
X
12
3
2
1
1
X
X
X
12
3
2
1

E turns up as the I, V, IV, VI chord across 6 keys: I of E major, V of A major, IV of B major, VI of G# minor, III of C# minor, VII of F# minor.

Progressions that actually use it: I – V – vi – IV (E major), I – vi – IV – V (E major), I – IV – V (E major), I – IV – iv – I (E major).

Fret and finger numbers for E
Frets (low E → high E)Fingering
0 2 2 1 0 0– 2 3 1 – –
0 X X 1 0 0– – – 1 – –
X X 2 1 0 0– – 2 1 – –
0 2 2 4 0 4– 1 2 3 – 4
X X 2 4 0 4– – 1 3 – 4
0 X X X 0 4– – – – – 1
0 X 6 4 0 0– – 3 1 – –
X 7 6 4 5 4– 4 3 1 2 1
0 X 6 X 0 0– – 1 – – –
X 7 9 9 9 0– 1 2 3 4 –
X 7 9 9 9 7– 1 2 3 4 1
0 11 9 9 9 0– 3 1 1 1 –
0 11 9 9 0 0– 3 1 1 – –
0 11 X X 0 0– 1 – – – –
0 14 14 13 12 12– 3 4 2 1 1
0 14 14 13 0 12– 3 4 2 – 1
12 14 14 13 12 01 3 4 2 1 –
0 14 14 13 12 0– 3 4 2 1 –
12 14 14 13 0 01 3 4 2 – –
12 14 14 13 12 121 3 4 2 1 1
X X 14 13 12 12– – 3 2 1 1
X X 14 13 12 X– – 3 2 1 –

Em

EGB
21 shapes · open & play
O
O
O
O
2
3
O
O
O
1
1
2
O
O
1
2
4
3
X
X
O
O
O
1
X
X
O
1
3
2
X
X
O
O
1
2
O
X
O
O
O
5
1
O
O
O
O
5
3
1
O
O
5
3
1
2
4
O
O
O
5
3
1
4
O
X
O
O
O
7
1
O
O
O
7
1
3
2
X
X
7
1
3
4
2
X
7
1
3
4
2
1
O
X
O
O
O
9
1
O
X
O
O
O
10
1
12
1
3
4
1
1
1
X
X
X
12
3
1
1
X
X
12
3
1
1
1
O
X
O
O
O
14
1
O
X
O
O
O
14
1

Em turns up as the i, v, iv, vi chord across 6 keys: i of E minor, v of A minor, iv of B minor, vi of G major, ii of D major, iii of C major.

Progressions that actually use it: i – VI – III – VII (E minor), i – iv – v (E minor), i – iv – V7 – i (E minor), i – VII – VI – V (E minor).

Fret and finger numbers for Em
Frets (low E → high E)Fingering
0 2 2 0 0 0– 2 3 – – –
0 2 2 0 0 3– 1 1 – – 2
0 2 2 4 0 3– 1 2 4 – 3
X X 2 0 0 0– – 1 – – –
X X 2 4 0 3– – 1 3 – 2
X X 2 0 0 3– – 1 – – 2
0 X 5 0 0 0– – 1 – – –
0 7 5 0 0 0– 3 1 – – –
0 7 5 0 5 7– 3 1 – 2 4
0 7 5 0 0 7– 3 1 – – 4
0 7 X 0 0 0– 1 – – – –
0 7 9 0 0 7– 1 3 – – 2
X 7 9 9 8 X– 1 3 4 2 –
X 7 9 9 8 7– 1 3 4 2 1
0 X 9 0 0 0– – 1 – – –
0 10 X 0 0 0– 1 – – – –
12 14 14 12 12 121 3 4 1 1 1
X X 14 12 12 X– – 3 1 1 –
X X 14 12 12 12– – 3 1 1 1
0 X 14 0 0 0– – 1 – – –
0 14 X 0 0 0– 1 – – – –

E5

EB
18 shapes · open & play
O
X
X
X
1
2
O
O
O
1
2
3
O
X
X
O
O
1
O
O
2
1
2
3
4
O
X
X
X
X
1
X
X
X
X
1
3
O
X
X
O
O
4
1
O
X
X
O
4
1
2
O
X
X
O
O
7
1
O
O
7
1
3
4
2
O
O
O
7
1
3
4
O
X
X
O
O
9
1
O
X
X
O
O
9
1
X
O
O
9
4
1
1
X
X
X
12
1
3
4
X
X
X
X
12
1
3
X
X
X
X
12
3
1
O
X
X
O
O
14
1

E5 fits 12 of the twenty-four major and minor keys — a chord this open leaves most of the scale untouched. These are the 6 where it carries the weight, as the I, IV or V: I of E major, i of E minor, V of A major, v of A minor, IV of B major, iv of B minor.

Fret and finger numbers for E5
Frets (low E → high E)Fingering
0 2 2 X X X– 1 2 – – –
0 2 2 4 0 0– 1 2 3 – –
0 X 2 X 0 0– – 1 – – –
0 2 2 4 5 0– 1 2 3 4 –
0 2 X X X X– 1 – – – –
X X 2 4 X X– – 1 3 – –
0 X X 4 0 0– – – 1 – –
0 X X 4 5 0– – – 1 2 –
0 7 X X 0 0– 1 – – – –
0 7 9 9 0 7– 1 3 4 – 2
0 7 9 9 0 0– 1 3 4 – –
0 X X 9 0 0– – – 1 – –
0 X 9 X 0 0– – 1 – – –
12 X 9 9 0 04 – 1 1 – –
12 14 14 X X X1 3 4 – – –
12 14 X X X X1 3 – – – –
X X 14 X 12 X– – 3 – 1 –
0 14 X X 0 0– 1 – – – –

Eaug

EG#C
16 shapes · open & play
O
O
3
2
1
1
O
X
X
O
1
1
X
X
O
2
1
1
X
X
2
1
1
4
O
X
X
O
3
1
4
O
X
X
O
5
2
1
O
O
5
3
2
1
1
O
X
X
X
6
1
3
X
X
X
6
2
1
3
X
X
7
1
3
4
2
O
X
X
X
8
2
1
O
O
9
3
2
1
1
O
X
O
10
1
3
4
O
X
O
11
1
3
4
X
X
X
12
1
2
3
X
X
12
4
2
3
1

Eaug — The fifth is raised, which puts a note outside every major and minor key. It almost always appears on the way somewhere — holding a major chord for a moment while the top voice climbs toward the next one.

Fret and finger numbers for Eaug
Frets (low E → high E)Fingering
0 3 2 1 1 0– 3 2 1 1 –
0 X X 1 1 0– – – 1 1 –
X X 2 1 1 0– – 2 1 1 –
X X 2 1 1 4– – 2 1 1 4
0 3 6 X X 0– 1 4 – – –
0 X 6 5 X 0– – 2 1 – –
0 7 6 5 5 0– 3 2 1 1 –
0 X 6 X X 8– – 1 – – 3
X 7 6 X X 8– 2 1 – – 3
X 7 X 9 9 8– 1 – 3 4 2
0 X X X 9 8– – – – 2 1
0 11 10 9 9 0– 3 2 1 1 –
0 X 10 13 13 0– – 1 3 4 –
0 11 X 13 13 0– 1 – 3 4 –
12 X X 13 13 X1 – – 2 3 –
X X 14 13 13 12– – 4 2 3 1

Edim

EGBb
21 shapes · open & play
O
X
O
X
O
1
O
O
X
1
2
3
X
X
X
1
2
3
O
X
X
3
1
3
2
O
X
O
O
5
4
1
O
O
5
4
1
2
3
O
O
5
3
1
4
2
O
O
O
5
3
4
1
O
O
5
3
4
1
2
X
X
X
5
3
1
2
O
X
X
O
X
6
1
O
O
6
2
3
4
1
O
O
O
7
1
2
3
O
X
O
X
O
8
1
O
O
O
8
3
1
2
O
O
8
4
1
3
2
O
O
O
8
3
1
4
O
X
X
O
O
11
1
X
X
X
11
2
3
1
X
X
X
11
4
2
1
O
X
X
X
15
1
2

Edim is the ii° and the vii° chord of D minor and F major.

Fret and finger numbers for Edim
Frets (low E → high E)Fingering
0 1 X 0 X 0– 1 – – – –
0 1 2 0 X 3– 1 2 – – 3
X X 2 3 X 3– – 1 2 – 3
0 X X 3 5 3– – – 1 3 2
0 X 8 0 5 0– – 4 – 1 –
0 7 5 0 5 6– 4 1 – 2 3
0 7 5 0 8 6– 3 1 – 4 2
0 7 8 0 5 0– 3 4 – 1 –
0 7 8 0 5 6– 3 4 – 1 2
X 7 5 X X 6– 3 1 – – 2
0 X X 0 X 6– – – – – 1
0 7 8 0 8 6– 2 3 – 4 1
0 7 8 0 8 0– 1 2 – 3 –
0 X 8 0 X 0– – 1 – – –
0 10 8 0 8 0– 3 1 – 2 –
0 10 8 9 8 0– 4 1 3 2 –
0 10 8 0 11 0– 3 1 – 4 –
0 X X 0 11 0– – – – 1 –
12 X X 12 11 X2 – – 3 1 –
X X 14 12 11 X– – 4 2 1 –
0 X X 15 X 15– – – 1 – 2

The rest of the E chords

E Major-family chords

9 chord types · 131 shapes

Emaj7 · Eadd9 · E6 · Emaj9 · Emaj11 · Emaj13 · E6/9 · Emaj7add11 · Emaj7add13

E Minor-family chords

14 chord types · 237 shapes

Em7 · Em6 · Em6/9 · Em(maj7) · Em7add11 · Em(maj7)add11 · Em7add13 · Em(maj7)add13 · Em(add9) · Em9 · Em(maj9) · Em11 · Em(maj11) · Em13

E Dominant chords

6 chord types · 99 shapes

E7 · E9 · E11 · E13 · E7add11 · E7add13

E Suspended & Altered chords

17 chord types · 363 shapes

Esus2 · Esus4 · E7sus4 · Emaj7sus4 · E7sus2 · Emaj7sus2 · E6sus4 · E6sus2 · Em7b5 · Em7#5 · Edim7 · E7b9 · E7#9 · E7b5 · Eaug7 · Eaug7b9 · Em7b9

Every chord above has an open & play link that opens it in the interactive dictionary, where you can hear it and step through the shapes. You can also work backwards from a shape you are already holding.