E major
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Relative key | C♯minor | |
---|---|---|
Parallel key | E minor | |
Dominant key | B major | |
Subdominant | A major, D major, G major, C major, F major | |
Notes in this scale | ||
E, F♯, G♯, A, B, C♯, D♯, E |
E major is a major scale with a base note of E. Its key signature has four sharps. It has the pitches of E, F♯, G♯, A, B, C♯, D♯, and E. Its relative minor is C-sharp minor and its parallel minor is E minor.
E major is hard for wind instruments to play. A violin is fit for playing in E major, because two of the open strings are A and E, the tonic and subdominant notes of this scale. Other orchestral string instruments can play well in E major, as can a guitar. When writing in E major, clarinets in A are easier to play than clarinets in B-flat. This is because clarinets are transposing instruments.
Symphonies in E major are quite rare, but the key is often used for concertos. One of them is Felix Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto.
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The bells of the Clock Tower in London's Palace of Westminster are tuned to the key of E major.
References
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The table shows the number of sharps or flats in each scale. Minor scales are written in lower case. |
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