E Major Scale
The E major scale runs E, F sharp, G sharp, A, B, C sharp, D sharp and back to E. Four notes are sharp. D sharp, just one piano key below E, is the last new note compared with A major.
- Notes: E-F sharp-G sharp-A-B-C sharp-D sharp
- Key signature: four sharps
- Relative minor: C sharp minor
Why does E major need four sharps?
Its major-scale steps are whole, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half. From E, they land on F sharp, G sharp, A, B, C sharp, D sharp and E. G sharp-A and D sharp-E are the two half steps.
Compare A major, which has A-B-C sharp-D-E-F sharp-G sharp. E major keeps six of those pitch names but raises D to D sharp. Play D-E, then D sharp-E; the second pair makes the tighter ending to the E scale.
What is the key signature?
Four sharps: F sharp, C sharp, G sharp and D sharp. Those are defaults on a written staff, though an individual accidental can change a note. You can read the sharps in their conventional order F-C-G-D, while the scale itself is played in pitch order from E.
Which chords belong to E major?
Stack alternate notes. E-G sharp-B is E major; A-C sharp-E is A major; B-D sharp-F sharp is B major. All seven basic triads are E, F sharp minor, G sharp minor, A, B, C sharp minor and D sharp diminished.
Try E-A-B-E. D sharp in the B chord sits a half step below E and can rise there as the loop closes. Listen to that note inside the chord, then play D sharp-E alone. Diatonic Chords shows why the fifth chord is major in every major key.
Does sharing notes mean sharing a key?
C sharp minor uses the same four-sharp signature. A line ending on C sharp over C sharp minor points to C sharp as home; a line ending on E over E major points to E. You need the melody and harmony, not just the signature, to decide which center the music establishes.
A keyboard check
Play E-F sharp-G sharp-A, pause, then B-C sharp-D sharp-E. Each four-note group ends in a half step. Practice the groups separately if the four black keys feel hard to track.