E Major Scale for Piano - Scales, Chords & Exercises - OKTAV (2024)

by Elke Galvin • June 01, 2023 • 4 minute read

Learn everything about the E Major scale for piano - notes and fingerings for both hands included! Exercise the E Major scale and chords to improve your playing skills and music theory knowledge.

The E Major scale is thought to be one of the most magnificent, noble-sounding, and luminous scales in music. Mozart called E Major "particularly exalted" while Beethoven claimed it sounded "celebratory and religious". It is a guitarist's favorite, as two of six guitar strings are naturally tuned to E so Powerchords and Open chords are often in E or related scales. As a piano player, you will need to be able to understand and use E Major in any genre you want to explore. Despite its four sharps, it is not hard to learn at all.

What Are the Notes of the E Major Scale?

The E Major scale starts on E and includes four sharp notes. It uses the notes E-F#-G#-A-B-C#-D#-E . On the piano, you need to play four black keys: F-sharp, G-sharp, C-sharp, and D-sharp.

How to Play the Scale With the Right Hand (Treble Clef)

On the piano, you can play the E Major scale going up (toward the higher notes), or coming down. This is how you play in the treble clef:

• Play the following notes going up: E-F#-G#-A-B-C#-D#-E. Start playing with your first finger, and tuck your thumb after you have played the third note to reach the A. As you continue playing, you will play the next two sharps with the third and fourth fingers until you reach the high E.
• Play the following notes going down: E-D#-C#-B-A-G#-F#-E. Start playing with your fifth finger and play the full hand, then tuck your third finger over the thumb to play the G sharp, and continue until your first finger reaches the E.

How to Play the Scale With the Left Hand (Bass Clef)

Piano beginners may find it difficult to read and play the left hand. It is worth investing some time to really familiarize yourself with the notes of the E Major scale in the bass clef, and learn how to read them in music scores. The notes are the same as in the right hand (E-F#-G#-A-B-C#-D#-E), but they look different:

How to play them

• Going up: Starting with your fifth finger (the pinkie) play the full hand, then tuck your third finger over the thumb to reach the C-sharp. As you continue, play the D-sharp with your second (index) finger.
• Coming down: Start with your first finger. After the first three notes, tuck your thumb under to reach the B, then play the full hand down to E.

6 Exercises to Practice the E Major Scale

Play one E Major exercise after the other and only move on after having correctly played the previous exercise 5 times on your piano:

1. Play the left hand up and down using a metronome and slowly increasing the speed
2. Play the right hand up and down using a metronome and slowly increasing the speed
3. Play both hands up and down using a metronome and slowly increasing the speed
4. Play the left hand up starting from the lowest E to the highest, and down, starting from the highest E to the lowest
5. Play the right hand up starting from the lowest E to the highest, and down, starting from the highest E to the lowest
6. Play both hands up starting with the left hand on the lowest E and stopping when the right hand reaches the highest E, then play down to the starting position

Why you should exercise scales

• To memorize a scale
• To practice dexterity and intonation (play all keys with even loudness. Beginners often play the notes they work with their stronger fingers much harder. Aim for an even tone)
• To be able to play the scale in time without hesitating to find your fingerings
• To be able to build chords and improvise

E Major Chords on the Piano

A chord is constructed of three or more notes: The root note - the major third - the perfect fifth.

For E Major this means:

• The basic E Major chord consists of E-G#-B.
• The first inversion is G#-B-E.
• The second inversion is B-E-G#.

To practice the E Major chord and its inversions, switch from the chord beginning with the root note to the first, and the second inversion. Start slowly using a metronome, then increase your tempo.