...Gw XXI. Chord Sets...	Welcome to Guitarweek! Get Involved, Support this stuff!... ----------------
Guitar Lessons | Piano Lessons | Bass Sites | Guitar Sites | Tab Sites Flash Lessons - Video Lessons - Chords - Songs - Music Teachers

GW Home | Register | Login

Catching Up II...

   The Key of E uses the notes E, F#, G#, A, B, C#, and D# and is also known as the (Key of Db minor) which is a mode, This key has the benefit of starting on the open E...

   The opening pattern for the Key of E is our favorite because you can identify the key easily, The root tone for this pattern is on the bottom string and the top string, This is also a good time to mention the fact that the open position pattern can be moved up to the 'double dots' 12th fret...

Key of E...

Key of E...

   This key is a popular key (along with the Key of A and the Key of B) for playing blues, The 'L' shape of the blues scale progression is evident when using this key, If you put a capo on the second fret then you can use the opening pattern from the Key of D...

Key of E...

   If you put a capo on the fourth fret then you can pretend its the open strings and play the opening pattern used in the Key of C, Whichever key you study on our site you should know where to move this pattern...

Key of E...

   All of our 'scale patterns' so far have been from the point of the top string, They are also all from the standing that you are going forward >>> instead of backwards, In standard tuning the top and bottom strings are the same tones so this pattern can be seen as starting from 'B' (mixolyian) going forward or starting from 'E' (ionian) going backwards...

Key of E...

   If you realize that each pattern is used for every key then its easy to master the scales, The same goes for the chords because they also use the same chord patterns for all twelve keys...

   Here are the basic chords for the Key of E, this shows the Natural Chord Progression that they follow based on the tones starting from the key note. 
(a 13th chord is commonly referred to as a 6th chord - they are identical)

Chord name --------------------- Notes used

E major ------------------------- E G# B
E major 3rd -------------------- E G# ..
E 5 ------------------------------- E .. B

E major 7th --------------------- E G# B + D# 
E major add9 ------------------ E G# B + D# + F#
E sus7 -------------------------- E .. B + D# 

E major 9th -------------------- E G# B + F#
E sus2 -------------------------- E .. B + F#  ------- (B major sus4)

E major 11th ------------------- E G# B + A
E sus4 --------------------------- E .. B + A

E major 6th/13th ------------- E G# B + C#
E sus6 --------------------------- E .. B + C#

Compare the E major 13th to the C# minor 7th below

C# minor -------------------------- C# E G#
C# minor 3rd --------------------- C# E
C# 5 -------------------------------- C# .. G#

C# minor 7th --------------------- C# E G# + B
C# minor add9 ------------------- C# E G# + B + D#
C# sus7 ---------------------------- C# .. G# + B

C# minor 9th ---------------------- C# E G# + D#
C# sus2 ---------------------------- C# .. G# + D#  ------- (G# minor sus4)

C# minor 11th --------------------- C# E G# + F#
C# sus4 ---------------------------- C# .. G# + F#

C# minor 6th/13th -------------- C# E G# + A
C# sus6 ---------------------------- C# .. G# + A

Compare the C# minor 13th to A major 7th below

A major ---------------------------- A C# E
A major 3rd ---------------------- A C# ..
A 5 --------------------------------- A .. E

A major 7th ---------------------- A C# E + G#
A major add9 -------------------- A C# E + G# + B
A sus7 ---------------------------- A .. E + G#

A major 9th ----------------------- A C# E + B
A sus2 ---------------------------- A .. E + B  ------- (E sus4)

A major 11th ---------------------- A C# E + D#
A sus4 ---------------------------- A .. E + D#        ------- (Extended Tritonics)...

A major 6th/13th -------------- A C# E + F#
A sus6 ---------------------------- A .. E + F#

Compare the A major 13th to the F# minor 7th below

F# minor --------------------------- F# A C#
F# minor 3rd ---------------------- F# A
F# 5 -------------------------------- F# .. C#

F# minor 7th ---------------------- F# A C# + E
F# minor add9 -------------------- F# A C# + E + G#
F# sus7 ---------------------------- F# .. C# + E

F# minor 9th ---------------------- F# A C# + G#
F# sus2 ---------------------------- F# .. C# + G#  ------- (C# minor sus4)

F# minor 11th -------------------- F# A C# + B
F# sus4 ---------------------------- F# .. C# + B

F# minor 6th/13th --------------- F# A C# + D#
F# sus7 ---------------------------- F# .. C# + D#

Compare the F# minor 13th to the D# diminished 7th below

D# diminished ---------------------- D# F# A
D# minor 3rd ----------------------- D# F# ..
D# (b5) ------------------------------ D# .. A        ------- (Tritonics)...

D# diminished 7th ----------------- D# F# A + C#
D# diminished add9 --------------- D# F# A + C# + E
D# sus7 ------------------------------ D# .. A + C#      ------- (Extended Tritonics)...

D# diminished 9th ----------------- D# F# A + E
D# dim. sus7 ----------------------- D# .. A + E       ------- (A sus4)...

D# diminished 11th ----------------- D# F# A + G#
D# dim. sus4 ------------------------- D# .. A + G#      ------- (Extended Tritonics)...

D# diminished 6th/13th -------- D# F# A + B

Compare the D# diminished 13th to the B major 7th below

B major ------------------------------ B D# F#
B major 3rd ------------------------- B D# ..
B 5 ----------------------------------- B .. F#

B major 7th ------------------------- B D# F# + A
B major add9 ----------------------- B D# F# + A + C#
B sus7 ------------------------------- B .. F# + A

B major 9th ------------------------- B D# F# + C#
B sus2 ------------------------------- B .. F# + C#  ------- (F# minor sus4)

B major 11th ------------------------ B D# F# + E
B sus4 ------------------------------- B .. F# + E

B major 6th/13th  ----------------- B D# F# + G#
B sus6  ------------------------------- B .. F# + G#

Compare the B major 13th to the G# minor 7th below

G# minor ------------------------------ G# B D#
G# minor 3rd ------------------------- G# B ..
G# 5 ------------------------------------ G# .. D#

G# minor 7th -------------------------- G# B D# + F#
G# minor add9 ----------------------- G# B D# + F# + A
G# sus7 -------------------------------- G# .. D# + F#

G# minor 9th ------------------------- G# B D# + A
G# sus2 ------------------------------- G# .. D# + A  ------- (D# dim. sus4)

G# minor 11th ------------------------- G# B D# + C#
G# sus4 -------------------------------- G# ... D# + C#

G# minor 6th/13th ----------------- G# B D# + E
G# sus6 ------------------------------- G# .. D# + E

Compare the G# minor 13th to the E major 7th at the very top

    * The 13th chord is most often named a 6th chord (G# minor 6th = G# minor 13th) the chord building structure indicates that a 6th chord, contrary to what others believe, should be named 13th. If the naming of this extension as a 6th is the proper way then why isn't there a G# minor 8th, G# minor 10th, and G# minor 12th or G# minor 14th... (See our 14th chords lesson)...

   For more information on the 13th chords, check out our lesson on 6th chords and our lesson on Chord Building You are currently looking at the Key of E, the best keys to change to from here are the Key of A and the key of B).