E Major Scale

The brightest, most fundamental scale in Western music. Every other mode is a rotation of it.

Labels

Root KeyC C#D D#E F F#G G#A A#B

Full neck(1 / 6)

Tap any note on the fretboard to hear it. Root notes are highlighted in brand blue and marked R in interval mode.

Root

E

Formula

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Notes

E F# G# A B C# D#

Difficulty

Beginner

Common Genres

PopCountryRockFolk

Famous Guitarists Who Use It

Eric Clapton · Mark Knopfler · Brian May

Signature Licks & Ideas

Ascend the scale in threes to build classic country runs.
Target the major 3rd (E in C major) on strong beats for a bright sound.

How to Practice

Play the scale one octave, ascending and descending, on a single string first.
Then play it across the strings in position — index finger anchored on the root fret.
Loop it slowly with a metronome (start at 60 bpm) before pushing tempo.
Improvise over a backing track in the same key — target the root note on beat 1.

Try This Scale in Another Key

C Major C# Major D Major D# Major E Major F Major F# Major G Major G# Major A Major A# Major B Major

Related Scales in E

E Natural Minor E Pentatonic Major E Pentatonic Minor E Blues E Harmonic Minor E Melodic Minor E Dorian E Mixolydian

Practice Essentials

Editor-picked gear that makes practice easier. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

Boss DB-30 Dr. Beat

Compact, loud enough for practice — polyrhythm support.

Korg TM-60 Tuner-Metronome

Combo device that hangs off a music stand.

Soundbrenner Pulse

Wearable vibrating metronome — feel the click.

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