Key of E major
The key of E major has four sharps — F♯, C♯, G♯ and D♯. Its scale runs E F♯ G♯ A B C♯ D♯, and building a triad on each of those seven notes — stacking thirds from the scale itself — produces the key's seven chords.
That gives three major chords, three minor chords and one diminished chord. The majors — E (I), A (IV) and B (V) — are the workhorses that carry most songs in the key; the minors F♯m (ii), G♯m (iii) and C♯m (vi) supply the softer colors, and D♯° (vii°) appears mostly as a passing chord.
Relative minor: C♯ minor — the same seven chords, with C♯m as home base.
The seven chords of E major
Common questions
- What chords are in the key of E major?
- The seven chords in the key of E major are E (I), F♯m (ii), G♯m (iii), A (IV), B (V), C♯m (vi) and D♯° (vii°).
- What is the relative minor of E major?
- C♯ minor. The two keys share the same key signature and the same seven chords — C♯ minor simply treats C♯m, not E, as home.
- How many sharps or flats does E major have?
- E major has four sharps: F♯, C♯, G♯ and D♯.