E chords are one of the first guitar chords any beginner needs to learn. Since these involve only one finger and do not require a barre, E chords make an ideal way to start off.
There are a couple of easy variations of this E chord to learn quickly. The easiest one is the open E chord; this sounds great with distortion and takes minimal time and effort to play.
Open E
Many guitarists begin learning open E chords as part of their practice routine, particularly slide guitarists. It’s an accessible shape to master that works particularly well when played over lower strings.
An E chord can be transformed into an effective power chord by barrering at fret 7; this creates an A-shape chord and sounds great with distortion. Additionally, this chord can also leave out its low E string for a unique tone.
This chord, composed of E (root), G# (major third), and B (perfect fifth), can be found across many genres of music; however, its prevalence in blues music is particularly notable.
Be wary that tuning to open E increases string tension compared to standard guitar strings, which may increase wear on strings faster and potentially cause neck injuries if handled incorrectly. Therefore, lighter gauge strings would be recommended when exploring open tunings.
Barre E
Addition of a bar to an E shape creates an interesting variation that might work better with certain pieces of music, while providing extra challenge when practicing barre chords, especially for beginners until their fingers can move quickly between different finger patterns.
This variation still utilizes an E major barre chord shape, but your index finger should be on the second fret of the fifth string while two bottom strings remain open. When strumming these strings you will hear low E and A strings ring clearly while high E strings remain muted.
Remind yourself to apply only enough pressure on the strings for them to produce a clean sound. Applying too much force could change their pitch or wear down your strings and frets faster; precision beats power while timing trumps speed in many aspects of guitar playing.
E Shape Barre
Bar chords are created when your index finger barred across five or six strings at one fret – effectively creating a new nut shape – at once fret. You can move this shape up and down the neck of the guitar neck in order to form various major or minor chords.
Move an E shape barre chord up one fret and you get C major; move two frets further up and it becomes A major. Do this all along the fretboard for 12 different barre chords!
Moveable chord shapes come in handy when it comes to playing songs with chords that cannot be played in their root position. Furthermore, they allow for different voicings of one chord to add variety and spice to your playing experience – something many beginners overlook when using the same chord shape all of the time.
E Shape Open
Acoustic guitarists find this chord shape to be ideal, as it lets the notes from both B and high E strings to resonate beautifully. Additionally, its versatility lies within Box 1 of E Major Pentatonic scale; therefore allowing for movement up or down the neck to create different variations of this chord shape.
This bar chord is one of the easier variations, since only three strings must be depressed with your index finger. While this makes it less challenging than some other bar shapes, it still can be tricky getting your fingers in their proper places.
Play it solo or add in additional fingers such as your pinky or ring finger to press down on the string, creating powerful parallel octaves – great for solo use or playing alongside others!