Bass · major
E Chord on Bass
E Major is E, G#, B — the 1-3-5 pattern of a major chord. There are 6 ways to play it on bass, ranked below from easiest to hardest.
Good news: E has an open shape on bass, so you can play it without barring anything. Start there and work up the neck later.
Start here — Root Position (open)
Open shape — open strings ring right through it and there is nothing to barre. If you only learn one, learn this one.
Easier ways to play it — 6 shapes, easiest first
Same chord in all of them. What changes is how much your hand has to do and where on the neck it sits.
Way 1 of 6
Root Position (open)
Easiest here· beginner· the standard shape
Open shape — open strings ring right through it and there is nothing to barre. If you only learn one, learn this one.
Way 2 of 6
Fifth Position
beginner
Open shape — open strings ring right through it and there is nothing to barre. If you only learn one, learn this one.
Way 3 of 6
Octave Position
intermediate
Open shape — open strings ring right through it and there is nothing to barre. If you only learn one, learn this one.
Way 4 of 6
Root-3-5 Shape (E string) (1st fret)
intermediate
Open shape — open strings ring right through it and there is nothing to barre. If you only learn one, learn this one.
Way 5 of 6
Root-3-5 Shape (A string) (4th fret)
intermediate
Fingered low on the neck with no barre — a useful middle step between the open shape and the movable ones.
Way 6 of 6
Root Position (A string)
intermediate
Sits at fret 7 — tighter and brighter than the low shapes, and high enough to keep out of the way of anyone playing the open version underneath.
What beginners get wrong
Moving in and out of it
The shape above: Root Position (open) — open position, so several strings ring unfretted.
Where you will meet it: E Major (I), A Major (V), B Major (IV), G# Minor (VI), C# Minor (III).
Listening: each shape above has its own play button, and each one plays the notes that shape actually produces — not a generic triad.
Songs that turn on this chord
- Sweet Home AlabamaLynyrd Skynyrdverse — third chord
- Folsom Prison BluesJohnny Cashverse — opening chord
- Twist and ShoutThe Beatlesverse
- Way MakerSinachverse — tonic
E on other instruments
Same notes, different hands. Every link below is a real page with diagrams and audio.
Chords next door
Same root, different colour — and all of them playable on bass.
E on Bass — questions people ask
What is the easiest way to play E on bass?
“Root Position (open)” — which we rate beginner — is the easiest E shape on bass. Open shape — open strings ring right through it and there is nothing to barre. If you only learn one, learn this one.
What notes are in the E Major chord?
E Major is E, G#, B — the 1-3-5 interval pattern of a major chord. Every voicing on this page uses those notes and nothing else; they just appear in a different order and octave.
How many ways can you play E on bass?
This page has 6 E voicings for bass, ranked from easiest to hardest: Root Position (open), Fifth Position, Octave Position, Root-3-5 Shape (E string) (1st fret), Root-3-5 Shape (A string) (4th fret), Root Position (A string). They all sound like E; the differences are how hard they are to hold and how high they sit.
What can I play instead of E?
The nearest stand-ins on bass that keep the same root are E5, Esus4, Esus2. They keep the root and the fifth and only change what sits in the middle, so most songs still work — but check the swap against the melody, because the note you removed may be the one the tune is singing.
Can I play E on other instruments?
Yes. E is the same set of notes everywhere; only the fingering changes. This site has diagrams and audio for it on guitar, piano, ukulele, mandolin, banjo.
Learn the theory behind E
The shape gets your fingers there. These explain why it sounds the way it does.
Chord Progressions Explained
Major triads are the building blocks. This is how they get strung into songs.
7 min read
Major and Minor Scales — Built from Intervals, Felt in Songs
Where the three notes come from, and why the stack sounds bright.
5 min read
Key Signatures: Read Any Key in Two Seconds
Every key this chord sits in, and the signature that gives it away.
6 min read