How to Play an E Major Chord on a Guitar

Co-authored by Nate Savage

Last Updated: October 11, 2022

E-Major is a popular guitar chord to know and one of the easiest to learn. It’s an open chord played on the guitar’s first two frets. “Open” means that one or more strings are left unpressed, allowing the chord to ring out pleasingly. With E-Major and a few more of the basics in your back pocket, you’ll be able to play many classic guitar tunes.

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Playing an E Major

1
Know the six strings strung across the guitar. They are numbered from the bottom to the top, with the thinnest one as the first string and the thickest as the sixth string. Each string has a corresponding letter or note, which you need to know to learn chords. You can remember them by this short saying, frequently taught by American guitar teachers. “Eddie Ate Dynamite, Goodbye Eddie:" The first letter of each word gives you the note, going from thickest string on top to thinnest on the bottom.
- E (Thickest string)
- A
- D
- G
- B
- e (Thinnest string)
Remember -- the lowest, thinnest string is considered the first string. You're on the fifth string, second fret. This note is a B.
This is the second fret, fourth string. This note is another E, but it is a higher octave than the open string on top.
This is the first fret, third string. This note is a G#.
5
Strum all six strings simultaneously. Once you've got everything under control and fingers on the fret, simply play all six strings at once. If it sounds odd or off, gently pluck each string individually, hearing which finger might not be down on the fret or is covering an open string. The final tab for an E major chord is:
- --0--
- --0--
- --1--
- --2--
- --2--
- --0--
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Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Playing Your Chords Smoothly

1
Learn to get to your chord smoothly and quickly before you worry about transitions. A problem for many young guitarists is that they learn the E major chord but are sloppy transitioning to it. A good way to practice is just to leave the guitar open, then move to E. Strum it so that every single string sounds good, then take your hand off and re-set the E, working until you can land each chord smoothly.
- Once you feel comfortable, pick another chord, like an A, and transition from E-A and back again to work on smooth transitions.
You want a small, but precise area of the string under your finger. Really work on curling your fingers so the tips of your fingers are pressing down. You want to keep the long part of your hands off the other strings so that you can hear them well.
If your finger is on the second fret, get really close to the second fret for the best sound. If you're right-handed, you want to be as close to the left edge as the fret as possible, near the head of the guitar. You don't want to be on the actual fret, just right to the headboard side of the fret.

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What is -0-?

Community Answer

If you are playing off tablature, then the -0- means that you play the string open (not fretted).

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Tips

The best way to learn this chord and other basic guitar chords is to memorize the finger placements as a shape. That way you can switch between the different chords faster. You can practice this by placing your fingers on the correct strings, then remove your hand, but keeping the fingers in the same shape as if you still were pressing down the strings. Do this many times until the shape sticks in your memory.

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