Read left to right, 4th string to 1st: a number is a fret, 0 is an open string.
- Index finger on the 2nd fret of the A string (1st).
- Middle finger on the 4th fret of the G string (4th).
- Ring finger on the 4th fret of the C string (3rd).
- Little finger on the 4th fret of the E string (2nd).
String by string
What each string does in this shape, and which note of the chord it sounds. This is what to listen for when you pluck them one at a time.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note | In the chord |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4th (G) | fret 4 | middle | B4 | fifth |
| 3rd (C) | fret 4 | ring | E4 | root |
| 2nd (E) | fret 4 | little | G♯4 | third |
| 1st (A) | fret 2 | index | B4 | fifth |
One string at a time: a chord strummed into a microphone is several notes at once, and a single string is something the page can hear exactly. A string in tune but on the wrong fret, or deadened by the finger beside it, shows up here and not on a tuner. Tap a string to check it again.
2 other ways to play E
The same 3 notes, somewhere else on the neck. A different shape puts a different note on top, so each one colours the chord slightly differently — and one of them is usually nearer the chord you are coming from.
- 4447A barre at the 4th fret and one more finger
- 9877A barre at the 7th fret and two more fingers
If the usual shape is too hard for now
1402 is E without the full barre — fewer strings, the same chord. It is a real voicing, not a cheat, and plenty of players keep using it.
Holding it cleanly
Press just behind each fret, not on top of it and not in the middle of the gap: that is where the least pressure gives a clean note.
The notes in E
A major chord is built from the root (1), 3 and 5 of its root’s major scale. From E that gives E – G♯ – B. Bright and settled — the chord a song in a major key comes home to.
The same root, other chords: Em, E7, Emaj7, Em7, Esus2, Esus4, Edim, Eaug.
Keys that use E
E is built from the notes of 6 keys. Each link is that key’s full set of ukulele chords — the ones that sound right next to this one.
Frequently asked questions
What notes are in a E chord?
E major is three notes: E – G♯ – B — the root, 3 and 5 of the E major scale. On ukulele the shape 4442 sounds B4, E4, G♯4 and B4, so some of those notes appear more than once.
What is the easiest way to play E on ukulele?
The usual shape is 4442 — a shape at the 2nd fret, with four fingers. If that is out of reach for now, 1402 is the same chord without the full barre.
What is the difference between E and Em?
One note. E has a major third (G♯); Em lowers it a semitone. That single fret is the whole difference between the two sounds.
What keys is E in?
E is one of the seven chords of E major (as I), A major (as V), B major (as IV), C♯ minor (as III), F♯ minor (as VII) and G♯ minor (as VI).