E major is one of the first chords most guitarists learn to play and it makes an excellent starting point for playing guitar. It is generally straightforward and sounds fantastic!
Note: When fretting a string, be careful not to press too hard on the fretted finger. Pressing too hard may change its pitch and wear down fingers and strings faster.
Here are a few variations on the E chord.
Open Position
The Open Position is a fantastic way to play guitar chords that produce full sound while only needing two fingers to play them. Guitar teachers or friends may teach this shape.
This chord shape is a variation on an E major triad with the root note at fret 2 on the D string and G# as its third tone at fret one on G. It can be altered up and down the neck using various fingering techniques in order to form any major chord you want.
As opposed to other barre chord shapes which require you to press down on multiple strings with your index finger, this one only presses down three. This makes it much simpler and less likely to alter the pitch of your strings or wear down fingers and frets too quickly. Plus, its heavier sound often lends itself well when used with distortion effects.
Barre Position
Barre chords, when composed by barring across all strings, can be difficult for beginners and it is essential that they learn proper technique in order to perform them effectively. To hold one successfully it’s key that there’s sufficient distance between fingers for clear sound production and they don’t get too close together – fretting too hard will create an uneven sound and fatigue your fingers quickly!
Once your index finger is comfortably in a barre position, it becomes easy to move this shape across the fretboard to create various chords. For instance, moving this shape from its current location on the fifth string to create an A major chord can give an awesome rock sound! Be mindful that precision always beats power! Good luck and have fun! -Nick
Barre Variation
The E chord can also be played as a barre chord, by barring your fingers over the strings instead of using open strings. Its structure is similar to A shape barre chord but with an additional note added at seventh fret – giving it its distinctive E shape sound. Play it either with second finger and form an Em7 chord, or without second finger for Esus4 sound.
Barre chords may be challenging to learn at first, but they make an ideal starting point for beginner guitar players as they give you a powerful sound while only needing two fingers to use. You can use this version of the E chord to play any song from Blues to Rock music with ease!
The E chord can be found in many iconic rock and folk songs, dating back as far as The Rolling Stones’ (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction and Greensleeves by English folk musician Tim Hardin.
Open Major
The open major of guitar chords e can be challenging to play due to requiring you to press down five strings with an index finger barre. At first this may prove too much for some players.
For this chord, place your index finger on the first fret B string; your second and third fingers should rest on either the second fret D string or fourth fret G string respectively – leaving two strings completely open allowing all their strings to vibrate together when strumming them, creating an excellent sound!
Strumming this chord without any muting from any of your fingers should produce clear notes; any that are muffled could indicate inadequate pressing of strings or interference from fingers touching strings that should remain open. Over time, playing these chords will become easier and more natural to you.