KEY OF E

[chloethegreat32]

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE BASIC AND OTHER COMMONLY USED CHORDS IN THE KEY OF "E" NATURAL??

[T-Block]

Basically the same ones used in any other key.  What you should focus on is learning the patterns for these commonly used chords, then translate them to any key.  That's where learning your progressions come it.  Example:

1-5 progression
Key E  LH/RH

E / E-G#-B
B / B-D#-F#
(repeat)

And so on like that.

[BroAllan]

Hi!  Just so happens that the key of "E" is one of my favorites!

     Here are some of the chords associated with the key of "E" :

  The "A" chord (the IV chord of E)

  The "B" chord (the V chord of E)

  The "F#m chord  (the ii chord of E)

  The C#m  chord  (the vi chord of E)

  The  G#m chord  (the iii chord of E)

These are the most common chords you'll find used in the key of "E".
Sometimes in a song, you'll find a chord that is not in that key...
 These chords for example:   "D"; F#; G#; C#; Bm7 and others I haven't listed.

So, if you are playing a song in the Key of "E", chances are that you'll probably be   
using some of these chords or a variation (7ths, sus, dim, etc.), of these chords.

                             Hope this helps you ...   BroAllan

[3rd-Day]

People get intimidated for whatever reason when it comes to playing in keys like E and A. There are just like any other Key on the piano. Anything thats new or unfamiliar will initially seem uncomfortable. Just dive into it. To me some chords/progression sound better in certain keys. BroAllen and T-Block gave  excellent replies. If you stretch a little you can jump from E to Db/C#. Kevin Bond an excellent job on the Marvin Sapp song "Lift Those Hands". Aaron Lindsey and Israel like to go from E to G natural a lot. I would encourage you to incorporate atleast 15-30 minutes of your practice time to playing a song in a key that you are not familiar with. It will build your confidence, help you to feel comfortable.    God Bless!!

By the way I like E too!

[KurzLand]

You guys have trouble with E and A? I have trouble with Eb and Ab? Go figure.

[PianoWizard]

You guys have trouble with E and A? I have trouble with Eb and Ab? Go figure.

DITTO.... ....Finally a person who has trouble with Eb & Ab like me..... . I guess it's because I learnt these two keys a lot later than I did E & A but that shouldn't make a difference surely.... .

PianoWiz...

[T-Block]

You guys have trouble with E and A? I have trouble with Eb and Ab? Go figure.

Yeah, and you're still weird.

[bishopcole]

You guys have trouble with E and A? I have trouble with Eb and Ab? Go figure.

Very crazy Doc!!!    Bishop Cole

[KurzLand]

Yeah, and you're still weird.

I may be weird, but you are a Weirdo...

[cakinbro]

TRY THIS...THIS IS SOMETHING I DO IN THE KEY OF E

arr.by cakinbro

Key of E
1st time:
BGb/BEAb
AG/BEbGbB
AbGb/BEAb
GD/FABDb

2nd time through
BGb/BEAb
next 3 chords play quickly
FB/EADb
GbC/FBbD
GDb/GbBEb
play normal
DbGbAbB/EbGbBbDb
GD/FABDb
GbDb/EAbAB

Here's a contemporary jazzy change I love to play
EBE/BEAb
EDb/GbBbDbFAb
AbGb/CEGbB
GDb/FABDb
EAbADb/ADbEAb
BbGb/AbDbGb
B/EbAbADb
EBE/AbBDbGb


cakinbro

[Shadow_]

TRY THIS...THIS IS SOMETHING I DO IN THE KEY OF E

arr.by cakinbro

Key of E
1st time:
BGb/BEAb
AG/BEbGbB
AbGb/BEAb
GD/FABDb

2nd time through
BGb/BEAb
next 3 chords play quickly
FB/EADb
GbC/FBbD
GDb/GbBEb
play normal
DbGbAbB/EbGbBbDb
GD/FABDb
GbDb/EAbAB

Here's a contemporary jazzy change I love to play
EBE/BEAb
EDb/GbBbDbFAb
AbGb/CEGbB
GDb/FABDb
EAbADb/ADbEAb
BbGb/AbDbGb
B/EbAbADb
EBE/AbBDbGb


cakinbro

Not all these chords are new to me. but i like the sound of the part in bold the most. I can almost hear it, but please what scale degrees are these chords? And i like this chord too: GDb/FABDb. Your voicing is throwing me off understanding it fully however.

[Fenix]

I find E quite easy to play in. I guess ppl have issues with E and A cuz they dont quite have all the black keys in them and that throws ppl off. This was my issue with E and A, Runs in E and A are not that easy. I did notice that a lot of Israel songs are in E or C#.

Incidentally i cannot play in Eb (D#) easily cuz i'm so used to playing D# minor that i always invariably hit the b3 and think i am in F# major.

[T-Block]

I find E quite easy to play in. I guess ppl have issues with E and A cuz they dont quite have all the black keys in them and that throws ppl off. This was my issue with E and A, Runs in E and A are not that easy. I did notice that a lot of Israel songs are in E or C#.

Man what u talking about, the key of A has 3 black keys and the key of E has 4 black keys.  Those 2 keys are ackward because of the white key-black key chord note relationships.

[Rjthakid]

There's no such thing as a "hard" key to play in.

The word is "unfamiliar".  If you take 1 week JUST ONE, and play in only E, you'll be FAR more comfortable in it.

[Fenix]

Man what u talking about, the key of A has 3 black keys and the key of E has 4 black keys.  Those 2 keys are ackward because of the white key-black key chord note relationships.

If you read my first post again, you will see that we are saying the same thing. E and A dont quite have all the black keys making it awkward cuz the white keys cause a break. I'm not that great at explaining stuff 

[T-Block]

If you read my first post again, you will see that we are saying the same thing. E and A dont quite have all the black keys making it awkward cuz the white keys cause a break. I'm not that great at explaining stuff 

Gotcha!!!

[cakinbro]

On the major scale degree I play the major scale in E major....But I don't always start on I....I like to start around III or IV and run up and down the that scale...I also play a lot of C# minor scales; melodic, harmonic minor...

[T-Block]

Here is a quote from a new member, Metrius39.  I assume that he posted it in the wrong topic, so I'm adding it here:

Im new to this site and im loving every bit of it...i went to school for music theory...i dont remeber right off what all the chords are in the key of E but i can look into it and and post some chords up for you and i will find out the progressions for you...you have to think of it like this...any key you are new too or dont play in a lot will be kind of hard at first..but i promise you the more you play in that key the better you will be in it...everyone has made some great points about this subject... i like the one when they said no key is hard to play in...thats true...its what you make of it....its just like when you first started playing the piano....you had to learn how to play the songs before you could play them..its the same with what ever key you play in...weather it be Ab, D#, B...or what ever the key maybe...you still have to learn the key before you can play in it...so take your time and learn it at a pace  you feel comfortable at...its all about adapting to the new key..it also helps develope the strength of you fingering...its important to know the E scale too...the scale pretty much tells you what chords are in the key of E...until then i will find some chords for you that sound very jazzy in that key....peace out and God Bless!!!

[THE WOLFMAN]

Key of "E" as a favorite?

hmm....some would consider that U N N A T U R A L . . . . . . . .

[sonidodejubilo]

People get intimidated for whatever reason when it comes to playing in keys like E and A. There are just like any other Key on the piano. Anything thats new or unfamiliar will initially seem uncomfortable. Just dive into it. To me some chords/progression sound better in certain keys. BroAllen and T-Block gave  excellent replies. If you stretch a little you can jump from E to Db/C#. Kevin Bond an excellent job on the Marvin Sapp song "Lift Those Hands". Aaron Lindsey and Israel like to go from E to G natural a lot. I would encourage you to incorporate atleast 15-30 minutes of your practice time to playing a song in a key that you are not familiar with. It will build your confidence, help you to feel comfortable.    God Bless!!

By the way I like E too!

Awesome discussion!  I have a question -- If you've heard Israel & New Breeds version of "Here I Am To Worship", I THINK they move from E to the relative minor (c# minor) -- I want to develop that ability (move from any key to the relative minor to create a different feel).  I should be receiving the Jamal Hartwell Urban Worship Classic and Urban Worship Xtreme today and looking at the index, I think he breaks down how to take "Lord I Lift Your Name On High" in E to c# minor.  I am just beginning to explore this -- my question is --

1. What are some chords to use in c# minor if I've moved from E?
Is it a LITERAL transposition (ie, "everywhere you'd play an E (I) chord you now play c#, etc" for the whole progression of the song?

2.  What chords (or progressions) can you use to move from E to c# minor -- (or ANY key to its relative minor)?

3.  What are some nice "color" or fill-in chords in E and c# minor?

4.  What is it about going from the major key to the relative minor that changes the sound?  What does it do to the sound -- does it give the music more of a 'gospel' feel or is it a 'jazzy'  or a 'bluesy' sound? 

Thank you!