Ukulele Tricks Online Ukulele Lessons
  • Lessons
    • How to Play Ukulele
    • Free Lessons
    • Books
  • Courses
  • Songs
  • Tools
    • Online Ukulele Tuner
    • Ukulele Chord Library
    • Baritone Chord Library
  • Blog
  • More
    • About
    • Ukulele Buying Guide
    • Contact
  • Log In
  • Log In
  • Sign Up

3 Best Ways to Play the E Major Chord on Ukulele

by Brett McQueen

There comes a point in a ukulele player’s journey where one must face head on, with courage and bravery, that dreaded and difficult-to-play E major chord on ukulele.

By learning the E chord on ukulele, you unlock a whole new world of playing songs on the ukulele with the most notable song using the E chord being Hey Soul Sister by Train.

Don’t worry because together in this lesson we look at three of the best ways to play the E major chord on ukulele. I provide you with three variations of E major and give you the pros and cons of each, so you can learn how to play the E chord and determine which one is easiest for you.

Watch the video and learn how to play E major on ukulele.

How to Play the E Major Chord on Ukulele: Variation #1

E Major Chord Ukulele Position 1

To play the E major chord on ukulele in this first variation, place the middle finger at the 4th fret of the top g-string, ring finger at the 4th fret of the C-string, and index finger at the 2nd fret of the bottom A-string. Let the E-string ring open.

How to Play the E Major Chord on Ukulele: Variation #2

E Major Chord Ukulele Position 2

To play the E major chord on ukulele in this second variation, perform a barre by pressing your index finger on the top g-string, C-string, and E-string on the 4th fret and place the little finger on the 7th fret of the bottom A-string.

How to Play the E Major Chord on Ukulele: Variation #3

E Major Chord Ukulele Position 3

To play the E major chord on ukulele in this third and most popular variation, perform a barre by pressing your index finger on all four strings on the 2nd fret and perform a barre by pressing your ring finger on the top g-string, C-string, and E-string on the 4th fret.

Be sure to watch the video to get tips for playing this tricky position.

How to Play the E Major Chord on Ukulele: Variation #4

This fourth variation of the E major chord is the same chord as Variation #3 but uses a different fretting hand position.

E Major Chord Ukulele Position 4

To play the E major chord on ukulele in this fourth variation, place the middle finger at the 4th fret of the top g-string, ring finger at the 4th fret of the C-string, little finger at the 4th fret of the E-string, and index finger at the 2nd fret of the bottom A-string.

I recommend using this Variation #4 if you have small hands and fingers, but for those of us with larger hands and fingers (like myself), learning Variation #3 is better.

Was This Chord Too Hard to Learn?

The E major chord on ukulele is infamous for being the hardest chord to play on ukulele.

If you’re a beginner and this was too difficult, don’t be discouraged. I recommend starting with the free ukulele lesson book Your First Ukulele Lesson and Then Some where I teach you easy ukulele chords and how to apply those to strum and play actual songs.

Enter your email address below to grab your free copy:

Yes! I want the free ukulele lesson book Your First Ukulele Lesson and Then Some.

    Not sure where to go next? Grab the free ukulele lesson book.

    Your First Ukulele Lesson And Then Some Book

    Join over 50,000 people and get our free ukulele lesson book Your First Ukulele Lesson and Then Some. Learn new tricks like:

    • How to properly tune, hold, and strum your ukulele
    • The most essential "must-know" ukulele chords
    • How to play 3 extremely versatile strumming patterns
    • How to play "I've Been Working On the Railroad"

    To get a free copy of the digital lesson book delivered to your inbox, enter your email below:

      19 Comments

      1. Scott Miller

        Hi Brett-
        My fingers are too small to barre the E major chord as in Variation #3 and too large for Variation #4.
        In Variation #4, instead of using fingers 2 and 3 to barre the 4th fret, I just use finger 3 to barre both the G and C. Pinky 4 still barres the 4th fret as you show. Produces a cleaner sound for me.
        Thanks for the well-produced lessons.
        -Scott (a ukulele newbie)

        Reply
        • Brett McQueen

          Great work, Scott. You’ve outlined another practical example of finding an alternative finger position to make a chord playable.

          Reply
      2. David

        Nice topic, but your Variation 1 is not an E chord. It should be like Variation 3, giving B E Ab B not B E E B

        Reply
        • Brett McQueen

          True. If you wanted to be technical, Variation 1 is known as an E5 chord, since it contains just the root note and fifth scale degree in the chord (E and B). However, it’s a very suitable substitution, especially for songs written in the key of E major.

          Reply
      3. Danny

        I never looked at it that way. Thanks.

        Reply
      4. Kurt

        Yahoo, I was hoping there was a way!!!! Thanks

        Reply
      5. Karen

        Hi, Brett
        Great vid. Thanks for suggesting alternative finger placements. My fingers aren’t that bendy yet so I appreciate different positions to try.

        BTW, very cool uke strap. What is it? Can I order it?

        Thanks,
        Karen

        Reply
        • Brett McQueen

          I use the “Uke Leash” brand leather strap. It’s awesome!

          Reply
      6. Ricky

        Maaate …. the baritone gets no love from you …. how about incorporating big bad Barry as a supplement to its three spoilt cousins and share the love …. Easy peasy on a barra …. the e chord that is ! cheers big ears …. Ricky … Melbourne Australia.

        Reply
        • Brett McQueen

          I know, I know. I hear you baritone players. 🙂

          Reply
      7. michael

        My fingers are big as well. I play the barre on the 4th fret from the top with my thumb. On the 2nd fret i use the index finger. Works good for me.
        Anything wrong with that?

        Michael

        Reply
        • Brett McQueen

          Hey Michael, there’s nothing wrong with that per se, however, you may run into difficulties changing to and from this position quickly since the thumb is making a more drastic movement to hit this position. You may have to adapt for certain chord progressions, but if that position is providing good results for you, then go for it!

          Reply
      8. Jean

        YEESH! lol

        Reply
        • Brett McQueen

          Haha, well said, Jean! This chord isn’t an easy one.

          Reply
      9. Ted

        I thought position 1 was index on high g#

        Reply
        • Brett McQueen

          Hey Ted, there are multiple positions and variations to play this chord. What position are you referring to?

          Reply
      10. Sarah

        I like (don’t know if it’s a true E)
        First fret G
        2nd fret A
        4th fret C

        Reply
        • Brett McQueen

          Yep, that works, Sarah! If you stack up the notes from the top g-string to bottom A-string in your example you get G#-E-E-B. Since an E major triad consists of the notes E-G#-B, this chord variation is perfectly acceptable as an E major chord.

          Reply
      11. Sylvia

        It seems I have no problem playing an E major chord but a BM is impossible for me to not have the fuzz sound on the E string. Any tips?

        Reply

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Start Here

      Join over 50,000 people and get the free ukulele lesson book

      Your First Ukulele Lesson And Then Some

        100% privacy. We promise to keep your
        email safe. Learn more.

        Courses

        Strumming Tricks course

        Perfect for beginners. Become proficient in strumming, rhythm and chord changes on the ukulele, improving your skills while learning actual songs.

        Fingerpicking Tricks course

        For players beyond the basics. Take your fingerpicking skills to the next level on the ukulele, learning fingerpicking pieces in four distinct styles.

        View More Courses →

        Books

        Ukulele Exercises For Dummies by Brett McQueen

        Written by Brett McQueen, founder of UkuleleTricks.com.

        Learn More

        View More Books →

        Popular

        • “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” Ukulele Chords & Lesson 278 comments
        • Ukulele Tuning: The Ultimate Guide For How to Tune Your Ukulele 170 comments
        • 5 Best Ukuleles to Buy for Beginners 432 comments
        • 11 Must-Know Ukulele Chords for Beginners 267 comments
        • 3 Easy Songs You Can Fingerpick on Ukulele Today 145 comments
        • Ukulele Sizes: Soprano, Concert, Tenor & Baritone 186 comments
        • “Hey, Soul Sister” by Train Ukulele Chords 84 comments
        • “Hallelujah” Leonard Cohen / Jeff Buckley Ukulele Chords 146 comments
        • Jingle Bells Ukulele Chords 35 comments
        • Ukulele Blues Fingerpicking Lesson for Beginners: Pattern #1 109 comments
        • How to Play the 12-Bar Blues On Ukulele 77 comments
        • You’ve Got a Friend In Me Ukulele Chords 124 comments
        • 16 Best Ukuleles to Buy This Christmas… Without Breaking the Bank 100 comments
        • 5 Effective Strumming Patterns for Beginners 41 comments
        • “I’m Yours” by Jason Mraz Ukulele Chords 26 comments

        About

        Brett McQueen
        Brett McQueen is the founder of Ukulele Tricks and author of the internationally-published book Ukulele Exercises For Dummies. He teaches thousands of people from around the world to play ukulele in a non-intimidating, easy-to-follow style. Read more.

        Copyright © 2023 Ukulele Tricks – a McQueen Machine, LLC website.
        Privacy Policy · Terms of Service · Links