1,008 guitar chords with several shapes each, finger numbers, difficulty and real sound, in any tuning.
E/G♯ means “E with G♯ in the bass”: play a E major chord and make G♯ the lowest note. Because G♯ is already in the chord (its major third), this is the first inversion of E.
The notes, low to high, are G♯, E, B. The library above opens on E/G♯ with 14 shapes that keep G♯ at the bottom; tap one to hear it.
| Note | Degree | Interval from E | Semitones |
|---|---|---|---|
| E | 1 | root | 0 |
| G♯ | 3 (bass) | major third | 4 |
| B | 5 | perfect fifth | 7 |
Formula: 1 – 3 – 5. On guitar the 5th is often left out of the bigger shapes without changing the chord.
xxx100422400422xxxxx645xx(11)99xxxxx(13)(12)(12)With the major third in the bass, E/G♯ sounds lighter and less final than plain E: good in the middle of a phrase, not at its end.
In E major, A – E/G♯ – F♯m walks the bass down step by step (A, G♯, F♯) while the chords on top change. Played the other way, F♯m – E/G♯ – A, the bass climbs.
When a chord sheet writes E/G♯, play the chord on top and let G♯ be the lowest string you strum; if you play with a bass player, the bass plays G♯.
G♯, E, B: the root, major third, fifth.
Open position: 422400 (low string first), rated Easy.
No. The easiest shape is rated Easy and needs 4 fingers.