E Major Triad on the guitar fretboard

Notes and intervals

The E Major Triad is built from these tones — each shown with its interval (in semitones) above the root:

• E · R
• G♯ · 4
• B · 7

All positions on the neck

• 1st (high E) string · open string (fret 0) · R
• 1st (high E) string · fret 4 · 4
• 1st (high E) string · fret 7 · 7
• 1st (high E) string · fret 12 · R
• 1st (high E) string · fret 16 · 4
• 1st (high E) string · fret 19 · 7
• 2nd (B) string · open string (fret 0) · 7
• 2nd (B) string · fret 5 · R
• 2nd (B) string · fret 9 · 4
• 2nd (B) string · fret 12 · 7
• 2nd (B) string · fret 17 · R
• 2nd (B) string · fret 21 · 4
• 3rd (G) string · fret 1 · 4
• 3rd (G) string · fret 4 · 7
• 3rd (G) string · fret 9 · R
• 3rd (G) string · fret 13 · 4
• 3rd (G) string · fret 16 · 7
• 3rd (G) string · fret 21 · R
• 4th (D) string · fret 2 · R
• 4th (D) string · fret 6 · 4
• 4th (D) string · fret 9 · 7
• 4th (D) string · fret 14 · R
• 4th (D) string · fret 18 · 4
• 4th (D) string · fret 21 · 7
• 5th (A) string · fret 2 · 7
• 5th (A) string · fret 7 · R
• 5th (A) string · fret 11 · 4
• 5th (A) string · fret 14 · 7
• 5th (A) string · fret 19 · R
• 6th (low E) string · open string (fret 0) · R
• 6th (low E) string · fret 4 · 4
• 6th (low E) string · fret 7 · 7
• 6th (low E) string · fret 12 · R
• 6th (low E) string · fret 16 · 4
• 6th (low E) string · fret 19 · 7

About the Major Triad

A major triad is the harmonic core of major-key music: the root, a major third (4 semitones) and a perfect fifth (7). These three tones of E major repeat all over the neck — learning the shapes lets you find E anywhere and build CAGED chord voicings.

Practice tips

Anchor every shape to its root — the gold R markers — and learn the distance to the other tones. The same shape transposes to any root by sliding it along the neck.

Open the interactive trainer and tap every E Major Triad tone across all six strings until the shape is automatic.

Other shapes for E