Want to know more about the E Major scale on guitar?

The E major scale is one of the most popular major scales to play on the guitar.

Along with the E minor pentatonic, E Blues scale and E major pentatonic scales they represent some of the most exciting tones to come from a guitar.

E Major Scale Notes

The scale of E major consists of the following notes: E-F#-G#-A-B-C#-D#-E

This scale is also referred to as the E Major diatonic scale.

As with all major scales, the structure of the scale is tone, tone, semi-tone, tone, tone, tone, semi-tone.

Tone =>	Tone =>	Semi-Tone =>	Tone =>	Tone =>	Tone =>	Semi- Tone =>
E	F#	G#	A	B	C#	D#	E

It’s easy to see this scale structure when you play the scale in a linear fashion like this.

Linear scale version played on the first string.

To demonstrate this further hear is the same scale played on the 4th string.

Of course, you could play the same linear version of this scale on the 6th string like this.

Scale Chords

E major scale chords

As you may be aware each scale can produce a set of chords when the scale is stacked or layered in thirds.

This is what is often referred to as a chord family.

In the event that the concept of chord families is new to you check out our discussion on chord families here.

To demonstrate here are the basic triads (three-note chords) produce when the E major scale is layered in thirds.

Major	minor	minor	major	major	minor	diminished	Major
E	F#m	G#m	A	B	C#m	D#o	E

Since all the chords above are created from the E Major scale it, therefore, stands to reason that the E Major scale will work over all these chords.

If you are not sure about the Diminished chord click here.

With this in mind let’s take a look at what happens when we create four-note chords (Scaletone sevenths) from the same E Major scale

Major 7th	Minor 7th	Minor 7th	Major 7th	Dominant 7th	Minor Seventh	Minor 7th Flat Five	Major 7th
E△7	F# -7	G# -7	A△7	B7	C# -7	D#Ø	E△7

It must be remembered that although I am giving examples where the chord families are created by layering the scale in thirds chord families can be created by layering the scale at other intervals.

For instance, layering the scale in fourths.

In any case, the point I want to make is that you can play the scale over the chords created from that scale.

E Major scale guitar positions

Another key point to remember when you are playing scales is that you don’t have to start on the tonic note.

As an illustration here’s a video where I’m playing an E Major scale beginning on the third note of the scale.

In this case, because I’m starting on the third degree of the scale technically speaking we would call this a G# Phrygian mode.

Not only are there many ways to approach playing scales in a linear fashion but also many options for playing lateral versions.

To that end let’s start with the open position version of the E Major scale.

Again, here is the same scale only this time in the fourth position.

Another key point to remember is that any scale can be extended higher and lower than the one octave depending on the range of available notes at any given position.

As an illustration here is the same E major scale in the fourth position with extended range notes.

In particular, this type of expended range scale is very useful for sight-reading.

For this reason, when reading music it’s always a good idea to scan the music first looking for the highest and lowest notes.

Of course, you may not be able to play the entire piece in one position and even if you could the experienced player would move around the fretboard to achieve the best musical result.

To demonstrate, I’m including the E major scale in all positions.

E Major scale guitar all positions

Such as open position

Again, here is the same E Major scale this time presented as a 3 note per string pattern.

And here is the E major scale in the 4th position.

Position playing

To clarify the position is determined by which fret the first finger covers in the scale pattern.

Similarly here is the scale pattern this time shown in the sixth position.

Again, the same scale different positions and patterns this time the ninth position.

And again another example in the eleventh position.

It’s important to realize that once you arrive at the twelfth fret the guitar fretboard repeats itself.

For instance, depending on how many frets you have on your guitar and your ability to access the higher frets, e.g., a guitar with a cutaway.

You may be able to repeat some of the patterns one-octave higher, i.e., twelve frets higher.

Major pentatonic version

E Major scale guitar pentatonic

Furthermore, once you know the major scale you can easily modify the patterns to create major pentatonic scales.

For example, if you omit the fourth and seventh notes of the major scale you will have the major pentatonic scale.

To demonstrate compare the two scales.

The E major scale: E – F# – G# – A – B – C# – D# – E

And the E Major pentatonic scale: E – F# = G# – B – C# – E

Of course, by removing the fourth and seventh notes you are removing the tension points of the scale (the semi-tones).

It’s also important to realize that the E major pentatonic scale can also be played over any of the chords created from the E Major scale.

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