E Major Scale, Arpeggio & Diatonic Chords

What are the notes in the E major scale?

The notes in the E major scale are E, F♯, G♯, A, B, C♯, D♯.

Why does E major have four sharps?

E major has four sharps because of the geography of the piano keyboard and the way major scales are constructed. A major scale follows a specific pattern of whole step and half step intervals: whole whole half whole whole whole half. If you start on the note E and go up a whole step, you reach F♯. Note that this is because E natural and F natural are only a half step apart on the keyboard. Next, from F♯, go up a whole step to G♯. The next step in the major scale is a half step, which puts you on A. Another whole step to B, then a whole step to C♯, a whole step to D♯, and the final half step takes the scale home to E.

What is the piano fingering for the E major scale?

The fingering of the one-octave E major scale is typical of most major scales. Start with finger 1 (thumb) on E. Then play 2 on F♯, 3 on G♯, and then finger 1 crosses under to A. Finish the scale by playing 2 on B, 3 on C♯, 4 on D♯, and 5 on E. For the left hand, start with finger 5 on E, and play 4 on F♯, 3 on G♯, 2 on A, 1 on B, then cross over 3 to C♯, 2 on D♯, and finish with 1 on E. For a handy guide to the fingerings for all major scales, download our FREE Major Scales Guide.

What are the diatonic chords of E major?

The diatonic chords of E major are the E major chord, the F♯ minor chord, the G♯ minor chord, the A major chord, the B major chord, the C♯ minor chord, and the D♯ diminished chord.

What are the notes in an E major arpeggio?

To play a one-octave E major arpeggio, play E, G♯, B, E ascending, and E, B, G♯, E descending.

How do I practice piano scales smoothly and evenly?

To practice piano scales smoothly and evenly, use a metronome and start slow. When you are learning a new scale, set your metronome to a slow tempo, slow enough that you can play each note accurately. If you play the scale slowly and patiently, you will learn it correctly from the beginning. Once you have played the scale slowly for several days, try playing it a little faster. If you can still play it accurately at the higher speed, then continue to gradually speed up. If you find you are making mistakes, slow down again to solidify your learning.

To learn more about piano scales and how to play them, read our All Piano Scales Guide: Major, Minor & More!

Hello and welcome back. I'm Joseph Hoffman,

and in this lesson we're going to be doing all of our usual finger power exercises: scales, arpeggios, and diatonic chords

in the key of E major, which has four, count 'em, four sharps. Let's come to the piano to get started.

Now, what if you happen to forget that E major has four sharps?

Well, the easiest way to remember how many sharps in each key signature is your ladder of fifths.

So, remembering that C major has zero sharps, just travel up by fifths. C up a fifth to G.

Every time you go up a fifth you add a sharp. G major has one sharp. Go up another fifth, G to D. D major has two sharps.

Go up another fifth to A.

A major has three sharps. A up a fifth, E.

By our pattern we know that E has to have four sharps.

So always use that ladder of fifths to help you remember your key signatures.

E major, four sharps.

Now this is also a good time to review our major seconds and minor seconds.

Remember that in a major scale, it's built on all major seconds except in a few key places we have E to F-sharp major second.

F-sharp to G-sharp major second, and then between the third and fourth note, or MI and FA,

DO RE MI FA.

That's where we have our minor second.

Another major second, another major second, another major second,

and then one more minor second between the seventh and eighth note or TI and DO. DO RE MI FA SO LA TI DO.

And it's the position of those major and minor seconds that make it sound major.

If we did this:

Notice what an interesting kind of weird sound that is?

That's called phrygian mode, which has that weird sound because look the minor second is between the first and second note.

That's why our ears thinks it sounds so funny.

It's because of where those minor seconds are.

The minor seconds,

if placed between the third and fourth note and the seventh and eighth, that's what makes it sound major.

MI and FA, TI and DO. That has to be where the half step is for it to sound like a major scale.

Now, our E major scale happens to use our basic fingering, which you'll recall