E Chord on Ukulele
E = E – G# – B (Root, Major 3rd, Perfect 5th)
E major has a reputation among ukulele players that few other open chords share: it's widely considered the hardest common triad to finger in first position. The reason is structural rather than accidental — none of the pitch classes in an E major triad (E, G#, B) happen to coincide with any of the open GCEA strings, so there's no shortcut the way there is for C or Am. The standard fingering barres the index finger flat across the G, C, and E strings at the fourth fret, then reaches the middle finger back to the second fret on the A string, putting a full barre and an independent stretch into the same shape at once.
As a key center on its own, E major sits a major third above C and carries a bright, slightly strained energy that's audibly different from the relaxed openness of C or G — partly a genuine harmonic quality and partly a psychological one, since players tense up anticipating the difficulty. It also functions as the V chord in the key of A, making the E-to-A resolution a common cadence in songs written in that key. Some arrangers deliberately avoid E major in beginner-friendly charts, transposing a song instead to a friendlier key, which is part of why E shows up less often in early method books than its harmonic importance alone would suggest. Players who do commit to it often find the payoff is a genuinely rich four-note voicing, since — unlike some easier chords — every one of E major's notes is freshly fretted rather than borrowed from an open string, giving it a full, deliberate density.
Fingerings
Open Position
How to Practice It
Build this chord in two stages rather than trying to drop the whole shape at once: first form the barre alone across the G, C, and E strings at the fourth fret and strum just those three, checking each rings cleanly, then add the middle finger's reach to the A string's second fret. Keep the barre finger's first knuckle slightly bent rather than perfectly flat, which paradoxically gives more even pressure than a rigid straight finger. Some smaller-handed players find it easier to fret the A string first as an anchor and build the barre around it instead of the other way around — there's no single correct order, only whichever sequence lets the whole shape land together reliably. If the shape remains genuinely unworkable, a moveable barre chord higher up the neck, built from the same interval pattern as F major, gives an alternative E voicing that some players find more comfortable once that barre technique is solid.
Common Progressions
- I – IV – V (E – A – B, in the key of E)
- V – I (E – A, in the key of A)
- I – V – vi – IV (E – B – C#m – A)
- IV – V – I (A – B – E)
FAQ
- Why is E major considered the hardest open ukulele chord?
- None of its three notes — E, G#, and B — line up with any of the open G, C, E, or A strings, so unlike almost every other common triad, there's no shortcut available; the shape needs a full three-string barre plus an independent stretch to a different fret.
- Is there an easier way to play E major on ukulele?
- A moveable barre chord built on the same shape as F major, shifted up the neck to the right fret, gives an alternative voicing — useful once barre technique is comfortable, though it doesn't eliminate the barre requirement entirely.
- What's the best order to build the E major shape in?
- Most players form the three-string barre first and check it rings cleanly before reaching the middle finger back to the A string, though some prefer anchoring the A string first — either order works as long as the final shape lands together.
- Why do some songbooks avoid E major for beginners?
- Because of its genuine difficulty relative to every other common triad, some arrangers transpose a beginner-level song into a friendlier key rather than ask a new player to tackle this particular shape early on.
- What's E major's harmonic role in the key of A?
- It's the V chord, carrying the strongest possible pull back to A as the tonic, which makes the E-to-A cadence one of the most common two-chord relationships in songs written in that key.
- Does E major ever get played with a capo instead of the full shape?
- Some players prefer to capo up and use an easier open-position shape that lands on the same pitch, sidestepping the barre-plus-stretch difficulty entirely, though this trades convenience for a slightly different, higher-register tone color.
E on other instruments: E on Guitar, E on Piano. Related: how chords are built, chord finder.