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Fig. 1 · E major · first 12 frets

guitar scale

E major

E1F♯2G♯3A4B5C♯6D♯7

The seven-note scale everything else is measured against: two whole steps, a half, three whole steps, a half.

on ukuleleon pianothe key signature

Written out

Fig. 2 · E major, ascending

Every accidental is written in, rather than left to a key signature, so the letters can be read one at a time.

The step pattern

EWF♯WG♯HAWBWC♯WD♯HE

What is true of it

E major is E, F♯, G♯, A, B, C♯ and D♯, and back to E.

Its steps are W – W – H – W – W – W – H, where W is a whole step and H a half.

On the same tonic, E melodic minor differs from it by exactly one note.

Across the first twelve frets of the guitar its notes fall in 46 places, which is what makes a scale a shape rather than a list.

Chords made only of these notes

C♯mminorC♯m7minor seventhD♯dimdiminishedD♯m7♭5half-diminished seventhEmajorEmaj7major seventhF♯mminorF♯m7minor seventh

Found by testing every chord in the catalogue against these 7 sounds, not chosen.

Other scales on E

E harmonic majormajorE natural minorminorE harmonic minorminorE melodic minorminor

C majC♯ majD♭ majD majD♯ majE♭ majF majF♯ majall 374