E major

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.

The bells of the Clock Tower in London's Palace of Westminster are tuned to the key of E major.

References



Category:Musical keys
Category:Major scales