E Major Scale on Piano: Notes, Fingering & How To Play It (2024)

Notes, Fingering & How To Play It

Ready to learn theE major scale on piano? This one is great to learn after you've learned the very basics (likeC major,G majorandD major).

Here you'll learn:

• how to playthe E scale
• thenotesof the E major scale
• fingeringfor theright hand(on piano)
• fingering for theleft hand
• thekey signatureof E major
• a bit about the E majorchord
• what topractice!

E Major Scale on Piano - Basics

The first thing you need to know to play this scale is which blacks notes you're going to be playing.

The E major scale has4 black notesand they are all sharps:F# C# G# D#.

So when you play this scale, make sure you remember them going both up and down.

Here's a video tutorial to help you with playing the E major scale.

The E Major Scale - Video Tutorial

E Major Scale - Notes

The E major scale goes from E to E and has 4 sharps (all black notes) in the scale.

Thekey of E has F#, C#, G# and D#.

Thenotesof theE major scaleare:E F# G# A B C# D# E

When playing this scale, you can think of the sharps in 2 parts: the beginning of the scale has two sharps and the end of the scale has 2 sharps. You also often cross a finger under or over around these sharps.

Notes of the E Major Scale

Piano Fingering for E Major Scale

The E major scale on piano is another scale that uses thebasic scale fingeringor finger patterns - which is great! We have a few extra sharps but can use the fingering we've used for other scales.

This is the fingering pattern you need to use for the E major scale on piano.

Right Hand: 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5

Left Hand: 5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1

E Major Scale Right Hand Fingering

This scale is a nice one to play because you sort of have "markers" - you need to take action around the sharps.

For your right hand, your thumb crosses under after G# (going up). If you were to play more than 1 octave, it would cross under again at D#.

For your left hand, you cross 3 over at the C# (when going up).

E Major Scale Left Hand Fingering

Creating little patterns around what to do in music and playing scales can be helpful.

Resource for Piano Scales:

Fingering for all scales, including the E major scale on piano, can be found in theComplete Book of Scales, Chords and Arpeggios here on Amazon(this is an affiliate link that will earn a tiny commission).

This is ahandy resourcewhen learning scales (and also arpeggios).

E Major Scale - Fingering Up & Down

To play the E major scale ascending and descending (or up and down), use the following fingering.

Note:if you're just beginningand this seems complicated, work on just going up only. After that is comfortable (enough), move onto going back down again.

Here are pictures / diagrams of theEmajor scale on pianogoing both up and back down for thetreble clef and right handand thebass clef and left hand.

Treble Clef Fingering for E Major Scale on Piano

Bass Clef Fingering for E Major Scale on Piano

The Key Signature of E Major

Now that you know the E major scale on piano, it also means you know the key of E major. This is great! And something you shouldremember.

Thekey of E has 4 sharps: F#, C#, G#, D#.

You have thebeginning of the sharps sayingwhich is Father Charles Goes Down. (The full saying is Father Charles Goes Down And Ends Battle - this is the order of the sharps.)

Understand the E Chord From E Scale

Now that you know the E scale, you can also know andunderstand the E chord- this is the E major chord and written as just an E.

Major chords are built off of the 1st, 3rd and 5th notes of the major scale. So we can work out the chord by getting those notes.

If you look at the picture of the scale, you can see the1st, 3rd and 5th notes are E G# B. Those three notes make the E chord and you can play that now as well.

If you look at the third note of the scale, it has a sharp. That's why the chord has a sharp in the middle. No sharp means it's a different chord (in this case it would be E minor chord).

Now if we look at another type of chord,a 6th chord, we canapply the chord formulaand make this chord too.

Thechord formula for a 6th chord is the 1st, 3rd, 5th, and 6thnotes of the major scale. So looking at the scale, that meansE G# B C#.And that is the E6chord.

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What To Practice?

This week,practice the E major scalein any of the following ways (depending on your level):

• 1 octave, hands separately
  
• 1 octave, hands together (slow at first!)
  
• 2 octaves, hands separately
  
• 2 octaves, hands together
  

Also tryplay the E chordwhen you get to theend of your scale.

Further Resources:

For more major scales, visit themajor scalespage.

Complete Book of Scales, Chords and Arpeggios here on Amazon(this is an affiliate link).

FAQ for E Major Scale