The E root note produces some of the most powerful and commonly used chords on guitar. From the open Em that drives countless rock and blues songs to the sophisticated Emaj7 used in jazz and pop — every E chord shape you will ever need is on this page. Learn them all and you will have one of the most versatile chord families in your hands.

E Minor (Em)

The easiest chord on guitar. Two fingers. All six strings. The home chord of countless rock and blues songs including Clocks by Coldplay.

e |--0--|
B |--0--|
G |--0--|
D |--2--|
A |--2--|
E |--0--|

Fingers: Middle=D string fret 2  Ring=A string fret 2
Strum: All 6 strings

Songs: Clocks — Coldplay, Nothing Else Matters — Metallica, Stairway to Heaven — Led Zeppelin

E Major (E)

The bright open E major chord. Full and resonant across all six strings. One of the loudest most powerful open chords on guitar.

e |--0--|
B |--0--|
G |--1--|
D |--2--|
A |--2--|
E |--0--|

Fingers: Index=G string fret 1  Middle=A string fret 2  Ring=D string fret 2
Strum: All 6 strings

Songs: Jumpin Jack Flash — Rolling Stones, Brown Eyed Girl — Van Morrison, Sweet Home Chicago — Robert Johnson

E Power Chord (E5)

The foundation of rock guitar. Root and fifth only — no major or minor quality. Works over any chord progression and sounds huge with distortion.

e |-----|
B |-----|
G |-----|
D |--2--|
A |--2--|
E |--0--|

Fingers: Middle=A string fret 2  Ring=D string fret 2
Strum: Bottom 3 strings only (E A D)

Songs: Back in Black — AC/DC, Smells Like Teen Spirit — Nirvana, Sunshine of Your Love — Cream

E Dominant 7th (E7)

The blues chord. Adds a flat 7th to E major creating a tense sound that wants to resolve. Essential for blues and country progressions.

e |--0--|
B |--3--|
G |--1--|
D |--2--|
A |--2--|
E |--0--|

Fingers: Index=G string fret 1  Middle=A string fret 2
         Ring=D string fret 2  Pinky=B string fret 3
Strum: All 6 strings

Songs: 12 bar blues in E, Pride and Joy — Stevie Ray Vaughan, La Grange — ZZ Top

E Minor 7th (Em7)

A smoother darker version of Em. The added flat 7th gives it a jazzy sophisticated quality. Used constantly in pop, jazz and soul.

e |--0--|
B |--3--|
G |--0--|
D |--2--|
A |--2--|
E |--0--|

Fingers: Middle=A string fret 2  Ring=D string fret 2  Pinky=B string fret 3
Strum: All 6 strings

Songs: Wonderwall — Oasis, Blackbird — The Beatles, Hotel California — Eagles

E Major 7th (Emaj7)

Lush, dreamy and sophisticated. Adds a major 7th to E major creating a floating quality. Used in jazz ballads, bossa nova and emotional pop songs.

e |--0--|
B |--0--|
G |--1--|
D |--1--|
A |--2--|
E |--0--|

Fingers: Index=D string fret 1 AND G string fret 1 (small barre)
         Middle=A string fret 2
Strum: All 6 strings

Songs: More Than Words — Extreme, Bossa nova standards, jazz ballads

E Minor Major 7th (Em maj7)

Dark and sophisticated simultaneously. Minor quality with a bright major 7th on top. Creates a haunting cinematic sound used in film scores and jazz.

e |--0--|
B |--0--|
G |--0--|
D |--1--|
A |--2--|
E |--0--|

Fingers: Index=D string fret 1  Middle=A string fret 2
Strum: All 6 strings

Songs: James Bond Theme — Monty Norman, film score passages, jazz minor progressions

E Suspended 2nd (Esus2)

Replaces the 3rd with a 2nd creating an open unresolved sound. Neither major nor minor. Used constantly in modern pop and rock for its ambiguous floating quality.

e |--0--|
B |--0--|
G |--2--|  <- wait. Esus2 notes are E F# B
           Let me map correctly.
           Esus2: E (root) F# (2nd) B (5th) — no 3rd

e |--0--|   E
B |--0--|   B
G |--2--|   F#? -- G string fret 2 = A no
           G string: 0=G 1=G# 2=A -- not F#

Let me rebuild from scratch.
Esus2 notes: E F# B

Low E: 0=E (root)
A string: 2=B (5th)
D string: 2=E (root octave) or 4=F#
G string: 2=A (not in chord) 4=B yes
B string: 0=B (5th)
e string: 0=E (root)

Standard Esus2 voicing:
e |--0--|   E
B |--0--|   B
G |--4--|   B? -- G string fret 4 = B yes
D |--4--|   F#? -- D string fret 4 = F# yes
A |--2--|   B
E |--0--|   E

Fingers: Middle=A string fret 2  Ring=D string fret 4  Pinky=G string fret 4
Strum: All 6 strings

Or simpler open voicing:
e |--0--|   E
B |--0--|   B
G |--2--|   -- skip (A not in chord)
Actually the most common Esus2:

e |--0--|
B |--0--|
G |--2--|
D |--2--|
A |--0--|
E |--0--|

Wait: A string open = A -- not in Esus2
D string fret 2 = E (root) yes
G string fret 2 = A -- not in Esus2

Most practical Esus2:
e |--0--|   E
B |--0--|   B
G |--4--|   B
D |--4--|   F#
A |--2--|   B
E |--0--|   E

e |--0--|
B |--0--|
G |--4--|
D |--4--|
A |--2--|
E |--0--|

Fingers: Middle=A fret 2  Ring=D fret 4  Pinky=G fret 4
Strum: All 6 strings

Open ambiguous and floating. Neither major nor minor. Creates instant modern pop atmosphere. Often used as a substitution for E major or Em in verse sections.

Songs: Everybody Hurts — REM, modern pop and indie rock verses

E Suspended 4th (Esus4)

Replaces the 3rd with a 4th creating tension that wants to resolve down to E major. The most dramatic suspension — often used just before landing on the full E major chord.

Esus4 notes: E A B (root 4th 5th)

e |--0--|   E
B |--0--|   B
G |--2--|   A? -- G string fret 2 = A yes
D |--2--|   E
A |--2--|   A? -- A string fret 2 = B yes
E |--0--|   E

Let me verify:
Low E open = E (root) yes
A string fret 2 = B (5th) yes
D string fret 2 = E (root) yes
G string fret 2 = A (4th) yes
B string open = B (5th) yes
e string open = E (root) yes

e |--0--|
B |--0--|
G |--2--|
D |--2--|
A |--2--|
E |--0--|

Fingers: Index=A string fret 2  Middle=D string fret 2  Ring=G string fret 2
Or: barre index across A D G at fret 2
Strum: All 6 strings

Creates tension that almost demands resolution to E major. Play Esus4 then E and feel the pull. Used constantly as a pre-chord before E major in rock and pop.

Songs: The Who — Pinball Wizard, countless rock songs as a pre-E resolution

E Add 9 (Eadd9)

E major with an added 9th (F#) on top. Fuller and more colourful than plain E major without the unresolved quality of a sus chord. Modern and sophisticated sounding.

Eadd9 notes: E G# B F# (root 3rd 5th 9th)

e |--0--|   E
B |--0--|   B
G |--1--|   G#
D |--2--|   E? -- D fret 2 = E or F#?
           D string: 0=D 1=Eb 2=E 3=F 4=F# 
           D string fret 4 = F# (the 9th) yes
A |--2--|   B
E |--0--|   E

Eadd9:
e |--0--|
B |--0--|
G |--1--|
D |--4--|
A |--2--|
E |--0--|

Fingers: Index=G string fret 1  Middle=A string fret 2  Pinky=D string fret 4
Strum: All 6 strings

Richer and more colourful than plain E major. The added F# on the D string adds sparkle without creating tension. Beautiful for verse sections and fingerpicking.

Songs: Modern pop and indie rock, fingerpicking patterns, emotional verse sections

E Diminished (Edim)

Built from stacked minor thirds. Tense, unstable and dramatic. Used as a passing chord between other chords — rarely sits as a home chord.

Edim notes: E G Bb (root minor 3rd flat 5th)

e |--0--|   E
B |--0--|   B? -- B is not in Edim. Bb is.
           B string fret 0 = B -- not in chord
           B string fret 1 = C -- not in chord  
           Hmm.

Most practical Edim voicing (drop B string):
e |--0--|   E
B |--x--|   (mute)
G |--3--|   Bb? -- G string fret 3 = Bb yes
D |--2--|   E? -- D fret 2 = E yes
A |--1--|   Bb? -- A string fret 1 = Bb yes
E |--0--|   E

e |--0--|
B |--x--|
G |--3--|
D |--2--|
A |--1--|
E |--0--|

Fingers: Index=A string fret 1  Middle=D string fret 2  Ring=G string fret 3
Strum: E A D G e (skip B string)

Dark and unstable — always wants to move somewhere else. Used as a passing chord in classical, jazz and dramatic rock passages. The tension it creates makes the chord that follows feel like a relief.

Songs: Classical passing chords, jazz progressions, dramatic film score moments

E Augmented (Eaug)

Built from stacked major thirds. Mysterious and tense — halfway between E major and something unsettling. Used in jazz and as a dramatic passing chord.

Eaug notes: E G# C (root major 3rd augmented 5th)

e |--0--|   E
B |--1--|   C (augmented 5th) -- B fret 1 = C yes
G |--1--|   G# -- G fret 1 = G# yes
D |--2--|   E -- D fret 2 = E yes
A |--3--|   C -- A fret 3 = C yes
E |--0--|   E

e |--0--|
B |--1--|
G |--1--|
D |--2--|
A |--3--|
E |--0--|

Fingers: Index=B string fret 1 AND G string fret 1
         Middle=D string fret 2  Ring=A string fret 3
Strum: All 6 strings

Mysterious and floating. The augmented 5th (C instead of B) creates an unresolved tension that sits beautifully between E major and Am. Often used as a passing chord in the progression E — Eaug — A.

Songs: Oh Darling — The Beatles, jazz passing chords, E Eaug A progressions

Quick Reference — All E Chords

Em      E       E5      E7      Em7
0       0       0       0       0
0       0       0       3       3
0       1       x       1       0
2       2       2       2       2
2       2       2       2       2
0       0       0       0       0

Emaj7   Emaج7   Esus2   Esus4   Eadd9
0       0       0       0       0
0       0       0       0       0
1       0       4       2       1
1       1       4       2       4
2       2       2       2       2
0       0       0       0       0

Edim    Eaug
0       0
x       1
3       1
2       2
1       3
0       0

Common E Chord Progressions

• Em — G — D — A — the most used minor rock progression in E
• E — A — B — E — classic I IV V I in E major
• Em — C — G — D — emotional pop progression
• E — Eaug — A — Am — classic jazz and pop passing chord movement
• Em7 — A7 — Dmaj7 — smooth jazz ii V I using E minor
• Esus4 — E — classic tension and resolution used in countless rock songs