CAGED
The E shape is the classic barre chord. Your index finger acts like a capo across all six strings, and the open E major chord fingering sits on top of it. It is the first barre chord most players learn, starting with F major at the 1st fret. Diagrams follow the left- or right-handed setting at the top of the page.
This is one of five CAGED shapes. See how they fit together on the CAGED system page.
The open shape and the movable shape
Left: the open E major chord. Right: the same shape moved up eight frets to play C major. Slide it to the 1st fret and it is F major.
- Root note, the note the chord is named after
- Other chord notes
- Barre: one finger across several strings
- × means do not play that string, ○ means play it open
Drawn for left-handed players: the thickest string (low E) is on the right.Drawn for right-handed players: the thickest string (low E) is on the left. The row of numbers at the bottom is the suggested finger: 1 is your index finger, 2 your middle finger, 3 your ring finger and 4 your pinky.
How to play it
Barre type: Full barre (all six strings).
- Lay your index finger (1) flat across all six strings at the root fret. This is a full barre.
- Put your middle finger (2) on the G string, one fret above the barre.
- Put your ring finger (3) on the D string and your pinky (4) on the A string, both two frets above the barre.
- Play all six strings.
Here is each note in the movable shape, shown for C major.
| String | Fret | Note | Role | Finger |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| low E | 8 | C | Root | 1 |
| A | 10 | G | 5th | 4 |
| D | 10 | C | Root | 3 |
| G | 9 | E | 3rd | 2 |
| B | 8 | G | 5th | 1 |
| high e | 8 | C | Root | 1 |
Find the root note
The root of the E shape is on the low E string. In C major the root, C, appears on the low E string (fret 8), the D string (fret 10) and the high e string (fret 8). Find the chord you want on the low E string, and that fret is where the shape goes.
Find it in every key
This chart shows the E shape for all 12 major chords. Fret numbers are listed from the low E string to the high e string, and x means do not play that string. Where the shape cannot fit below the nut, the chart gives the next place up the neck.
| Chord (major) | Root fret on the low E string | Frets, low E to high e |
|---|---|---|
| C | 8 | 8-10-10-9-8-8 |
| C♯/D♭ | 9 | 9-11-11-10-9-9 |
| D | 10 | 10-12-12-11-10-10 |
| D♯/E♭ | 11 | 11-13-13-12-11-11 |
| E | Open | 0-2-2-1-0-0 (or at fret 12: 12-14-14-13-12-12) |
| F | 1 | 1-3-3-2-1-1 |
| F♯/G♭ | 2 | 2-4-4-3-2-2 |
| G | 3 | 3-5-5-4-3-3 |
| G♯/A♭ | 4 | 4-6-6-5-4-4 |
| A | 5 | 5-7-7-6-5-5 |
| A♯/B♭ | 6 | 6-8-8-7-6-6 |
| B | 7 | 7-9-9-8-7-7 |
Minor and other chords
For minor, lift your middle finger off the G string. This is the E minor shape. F minor at the 1st fret is 1-3-3-1-1-1. For a dominant 7th, lift your ring finger off the D string instead: F7 is 1-3-1-2-1-1.
Tips and common problems
- If strings buzz, move your index finger as close to the fret wire as you can without sitting on it, and roll it slightly onto its bony edge.
- Keep your thumb behind the neck, roughly opposite your index and middle fingers. Press with the weight of your arm, not by squeezing hard.
- F major at the 1st fret is one of the hardest places to start. Practice the shape at around the 5th to 8th fret first, then work down.
- Pick the strings one at a time to find which one is buzzing, then adjust that part of your barre.
Where this shape sits in CAGED
In C major the E shape sits at frets 8–10. As you move up the neck the shapes follow the order C, A, G, E, D and then C again, so it comes after the G shape and before the D shape. In C major it lines up with Pattern 1 on the C major scale page, so you can find the scale notes around the chord.
Other shapes: C shape · A shape · G shape · E shape · D shape
Practice ideas
- Slide the shape up one fret at a time and say the chord name at each fret. Use the chart above to check.
- Play the open shape, then the movable shape in C, four strums each. Listen for how the same chord sounds in a different place.
- Switch between this shape and the D shape, which comes next in the CAGED order. Keep the chord the same and just change position.
- Go slowly. Start at 60 bpm and keep the chord changes clean before you speed up.