How to play E (E Major) on Piano
Diagram, notes, and audio for the E chord on piano. Free in your browser.
About E on piano
E major on piano is E, G#, and B. Right hand: thumb on E, middle finger on G#, pinky on B. G# is the black key between G and A. The chord asks the middle finger to angle inward and slightly up to land cleanly on the black key — the same skill A major requires, applied a fourth lower.
E is the I chord in the key of E major (four sharps: F#, C#, G#, D#), the IV in B major, and the V in A major. On piano, the four-sharp signature can intimidate beginners, but the triad itself is straightforward. Many film and game soundtracks live in E because the key sounds heroic, and piano players quickly meet E as the V chord in A-key songs.
The relative minor of E major is C# minor, sharing the four-sharp signature. Together, E and C#m underpin many Coldplay, Adele, and modern worship songs. Practising E and A as a I-IV pair on piano (E-A-E-A) is a useful exercise for building the inward black-key fingering habit, and it teaches the hand that black keys are not exceptions but a normal part of every key.
Frequently asked questions
- What is G# on the piano?
- G# is the black key immediately to the right of G — the third black key in every group of three (counting from F#).
- What's the difference between E major and E minor?
- E major has G# as its third; E minor has G natural. The middle note of the triad shifts down one semitone for the minor flavour.
- What chords are in the key of E major?
- E (I), F#m (ii), G#m (iii), A (IV), B (V), C#m (vi), D#dim (vii°). The four sharps all appear in the third or fifth of these chords.
Switch instruments
See E on a different instrument — same chord, new diagram.