Bluegrass I–IV–V Progression in E Major for Guitar

The E Major scale on guitar: the Bluegrass I–IV–V progression in its chords, with tab you can play along to in the interactive lesson.

Notes: E F# G# A B C# D#

Tuning: E Standard (E A D G B E)

Scale

Scale shapes

CAGED - E Shape

e|-12--14-----|
B|-11--12--14-|
G|-11--13--14-|
D|-11--13--14-|
A|-12--14-----|
E|-11--12--14-|

Basic Chords

Chords

Degree	Chord	Notes	Fingering (low to high)
I	E	E G# B	`0 2 2 1 0 0`
I	E	E G# B	`x x 2 1 0 0`
I	E	E G# B	`x x 2 1 0 x`
I	E	E G# B	`x x 2 4 5 4`
II	F#m	F# A C#	`2 4 4 2 2 2`
II	F#m	F# A C#	`x x 4 2 2 2`
II	F#m	F# A C#	`x x 4 2 2 5`
II	F#m	F# A C#	`x x 4 2 2 x`
III	G#m	G# B D#	`4 6 6 4 4 4`
III	G#m	G# B D#	`x x 6 4 4 4`
III	G#m	G# B D#	`x x 6 4 4 7`
III	G#m	G# B D#	`x x 6 4 4 x`
IV	A	A C# E	`x 0 2 2 2 0`
IV	A	A C# E	`x 0 2 2 2 x`
IV	A	A C# E	`x x x 2 2 0`
IV	A	A C# E	`5 4 2 2 2 5`
V	B	B D# F#	`x 2 4 4 4 2`
V	B	B D# F#	`x 2 4 4 4 x`
V	B	B D# F#	`x x x 4 4 2`
V	B	B D# F#	`7 6 4 4 4 7`
VI	C#m	C# E G#	`x 4 6 6 5 4`
VI	C#m	C# E G#	`x 4 6 6 5 x`
VI	C#m	C# E G#	`x 4 2 1 2 x`
VI	C#m	C# E G#	`x x x 6 5 4`
VII	D#dim	D# F# A	`x 6 7 8 7 x`
VII	D#dim	D# F# A	`x x 13 11 10 11`
VII	D#dim	D# F# A	`11 12 13 11 x x`
VII	D#dim	D# F# A	`x x 7 8 7 x`

Bluegrass I–IV–V (I–I–IV–I–I–I–V–I)

Chords: E – E – A – E – E – E – B – E

e|0-----------------------------------0---------------------------|0-----------------------------------0---------------------------|
B|0---------------------------4---5---0---------------------------|0---------------------------4---5---0---------------------------|
G|1-------------------1---4-----------1-------------------1---4---|1-------------------1---4-----------1-------------------1---4---|
D|2-----------1---2-------------------2-----------1---2-----------|2-----------1---2-------------------2-----------1---2-----------|
A|2-------2---------------------------2-------2-------------------|2-------2---------------------------2-------2-------------------|
E|0---4-------------------------------0---4-----------------------|0---4-------------------------------0---4-----------------------|

e|0---------------------------4---5---0---------------------------|0-----------------------------------0---------------------------|
B|2-------------------2---5-----------2-------------------2---5---|0---------------------------4---5---0---------------------------|
G|2-----------1---2-------------------2-----------1---2-----------|1-------------------1---4-----------1-------------------1---4---|
D|2-------2---------------------------2-------2-------------------|2-----------1---2-------------------2-----------1---2-----------|
A|0---4-------------------------------0---4-----------------------|2-------2---------------------------2-------2-------------------|
E|----------------------------------------------------------------|0---4-------------------------------0---4-----------------------|

e|0-----------------------------------0---------------------------|0-----------------------------------0---------------------------|
B|0---------------------------4---5---0---------------------------|0---------------------------4---5---0---------------------------|
G|1-------------------1---4-----------1-------------------1---4---|1-------------------1---4-----------1-------------------1---4---|
D|2-----------1---2-------------------2-----------1---2-----------|2-----------1---2-------------------2-----------1---2-----------|
A|2-------2---------------------------2-------2-------------------|2-------2---------------------------2-------2-------------------|
E|0---4-------------------------------0---4-----------------------|0---4-------------------------------0---4-----------------------|

e|2---------------------------5---7---2---------------------------|0-----------------------------------0---------------------------|
B|4-------------------4---7-----------4-------------------4---7---|0---------------------------4---5---0---------------------------|
G|4-----------2---4-------------------4-----------2---4-----------|1-------------------1---4-----------1-------------------1---4---|
D|4-------4---------------------------4-------4-------------------|2-----------1---2-------------------2-----------1---2-----------|
A|2---6-------------------------------2---6-----------------------|2-------2---------------------------2-------2-------------------|
E|----------------------------------------------------------------|0---4-------------------------------0---4-----------------------|

Seventh Chords

Chords

Degree	Chord	Notes	Fingering (low to high)
I	Emaj7	E G# B D#	`0 2 1 1 0 0`
I	Emaj7	E G# B D#	`x x 2 4 4 4`
I	Emaj7	E G# B D#	`x 7 6 4 4 4`
I	Emaj7	E G# B D#	`x 7 9 8 9 7`
II	F#m7	F# A C# E	`2 4 2 2 2 2`
II	F#m7	F# A C# E	`2 0 2 2 2 2`
II	F#m7	F# A C# E	`2 4 2 2 2 x`
II	F#m7	F# A C# E	`2 4 4 2 5 x`
III	G#m7	G# B D# F#	`4 6 4 4 4 4`
III	G#m7	G# B D# F#	`4 2 4 4 4 4`
III	G#m7	G# B D# F#	`4 6 4 4 4 x`
III	G#m7	G# B D# F#	`4 6 6 4 7 x`
IV	Amaj7	A C# E G#	`x 0 2 1 2 0`
IV	Amaj7	A C# E G#	`x 0 2 1 2 x`
IV	Amaj7	A C# E G#	`x x x 2 2 4`
IV	Amaj7	A C# E G#	`5 4 2 2 2 4`
V	B7	B D# F# A	`x 2 1 2 0 2`
V	B7	B D# F# A	`x 2 4 2 4 2`
V	B7	B D# F# A	`x 2 4 2 4 x`
V	B7	B D# F# A	`x 2 1 2 0 x`
VI	C#m7	C# E G# B	`x 4 6 4 5 4`
VI	C#m7	C# E G# B	`x 4 2 4 2 x`
VI	C#m7	C# E G# B	`x 4 6 4 5 x`
VI	C#m7	C# E G# B	`x 4 2 4 2 4`
VII	D#m7b5	D# F# A C#	`x x 1 2 2 2`
VII	D#m7b5	D# F# A C#	`x 6 7 6 7 x`
VII	D#m7b5	D# F# A C#	`x 6 4 6 4 x`
VII	D#m7b5	D# F# A C#	`x 6 4 6 x x`

Bluegrass I–IV–V (I–I–IV–I–I–I–V–I)

Chords: Emaj7 – Emaj7 – Amaj7 – Emaj7 – Emaj7 – Emaj7 – B7 – Emaj7

e|0-----------------------------------0---------------------------|0-----------------------------------0---------------------------|
B|0---------------------------4---5---0---------------------------|0---------------------------4---5---0---------------------------|
G|1-------------------1---4-----------1-------------------1---4---|1-------------------1---4-----------1-------------------1---4---|
D|1-----------1---2-------------------1-----------1---2-----------|1-----------1---2-------------------1-----------1---2-----------|
A|2-------2---------------------------2-------2-------------------|2-------2---------------------------2-------2-------------------|
E|0---4-------------------------------0---4-----------------------|0---4-------------------------------0---4-----------------------|

e|0---------------------------4---5---0---------------------------|0-----------------------------------0---------------------------|
B|2-------------------2---5-----------2-------------------2---5---|0---------------------------4---5---0---------------------------|
G|1-----------1---2-------------------1-----------1---2-----------|1-------------------1---4-----------1-------------------1---4---|
D|2-------2---------------------------2-------2-------------------|1-----------1---2-------------------1-----------1---2-----------|
A|0---4-------------------------------0---4-----------------------|2-------2---------------------------2-------2-------------------|
E|----------------------------------------------------------------|0---4-------------------------------0---4-----------------------|

e|0-----------------------------------0---------------------------|0-----------------------------------0---------------------------|
B|0---------------------------4---5---0---------------------------|0---------------------------4---5---0---------------------------|
G|1-------------------1---4-----------1-------------------1---4---|1-------------------1---4-----------1-------------------1---4---|
D|1-----------1---2-------------------1-----------1---2-----------|1-----------1---2-------------------1-----------1---2-----------|
A|2-------2---------------------------2-------2-------------------|2-------2---------------------------2-------2-------------------|
E|0---4-------------------------------0---4-----------------------|0---4-------------------------------0---4-----------------------|

e|2-----------------------2---5---2-----------------------2---5---|0-----------------------------------0---------------------------|
B|0-------------------4-----------0-------------------4-----------|0---------------------------4---5---0---------------------------|
G|2-----------2---4---------------2-----------2---4---------------|1-------------------1---4-----------1-------------------1---4---|
D|1---1---4-----------------------1---1---4-----------------------|1-----------1---2-------------------1-----------1---2-----------|
A|2-------------------------------2-------------------------------|2-------2---------------------------2-------2-------------------|
E|----------------------------------------------------------------|0---4-------------------------------0---4-----------------------|

Ninth Chords

Chords

Degree	Chord	Notes	Fingering (low to high)
I	Emaj9	E G# B D# F#	`x x 2 4 4 2`
I	Emaj9	E G# B D# F#	`x 7 4 4 4 x`
I	Emaj9	E G# B D# F#	`x 7 6 8 7 x`
I	Emaj9	E G# B D# F#	`12 11 13 11 x x`
II	F#m9	F# A C# E G#	`2 4 2 2 2 4`
II	F#m9	F# A C# E G#	`14 11 14 11 14 x`
II	F#m9	F# A C# E G#	`14 11 14 14 14 x`
II	F#m9	F# A C# E G#	`x 0 2 1 2 0`
III	G#m7b9	G# B D# F# A	`x x 6 4 7 5`
III	G#m7b9	G# B D# F# A	`x x 6 8 7 5`
III	G#m7b9	G# B D# F# A	`x 2 4 2 4 2`
III	G#m7b9	G# B D# F# A	`x 2 4 2 4 x`
IV	Amaj9	A C# E G# B	`5 4 6 4 x x`
IV	Amaj9	A C# E G# B	`5 7 6 4 x x`
IV	Amaj9	A C# E G# B	`x x 7 4 5 4`
IV	Amaj9	A C# E G# B	`x x 7 9 9 7`
V	B9	B D# F# A C#	`x 2 1 2 2 2`
V	B9	B D# F# A C#	`7 4 7 4 7 x`
V	B9	B D# F# A C#	`x 14 13 14 14 11`
V	B9	B D# F# A C#	`x x 1 2 2 2`
VI	C#m9	C# E G# B D#	`9 6 9 6 9 x`
VI	C#m9	C# E G# B D#	`9 6 9 9 9 x`
VI	C#m9	C# E G# B D#	`9 11 9 9 9 11`
VI	C#m9	C# E G# B D#	`x x 1 1 0 x`
VII	D#m7b5b9	D# F# A C# E	`x x 13 11 14 12`
VII	D#m7b5b9	D# F# A C# E	`2 0 2 2 2 2`
VII	D#m7b5b9	D# F# A C# E	`x x 2 2 2 2`
VII	D#m7b5b9	D# F# A C# E	`2 4 2 2 2 x`

Bluegrass I–IV–V (I–I–IV–I–I–I–V–I)

Chords: Emaj9 – Emaj9 – Amaj9 – Emaj9 – Emaj9 – Emaj9 – B9 – Emaj9

e|2-------------------4---7---2-------------------4---7---2-------|2-------------------4---7---2-------------------4---7---2-------|
B|4-----------4---5-----------4-----------4---5-----------4-------|4-----------4---5-----------4-----------4---5-----------4-------|
G|4-------4-------------------4-------4-------------------4-------|4-------4-------------------4-------4-------------------4-------|
D|2---6-----------------------2---6-----------------------2---6---|2---6-----------------------2---6-----------------------2---6---|
A|----------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|
E|----------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|

e|--------------------------------5-------------------------------|2-------------------4---7---2-------------------4---7---2-------|
B|------------------------5---9-------------------------------5---|4-----------4---5-----------4-----------4---5-----------4-------|
G|4-------------------6---------------4-------------------6-------|4-------4-------------------4-------4-------------------4-------|
D|6-----------6---7-------------------6-----------6---7-----------|2---6-----------------------2---6-----------------------2---6---|
A|4---4---7---------------------------4---4---7-------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|
E|5-----------------------------------5---------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|

e|2-------------------4---7---2-------------------4---7---2-------|2-------------------4---7---2-------------------4---7---2-------|
B|4-----------4---5-----------4-----------4---5-----------4-------|4-----------4---5-----------4-----------4---5-----------4-------|
G|4-------4-------------------4-------4-------------------4-------|4-------4-------------------4-------4-------------------4-------|
D|2---6-----------------------2---6-----------------------2---6---|2---6-----------------------2---6-----------------------2---6---|
A|----------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|
E|----------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|

e|2-----------------------2---5---2-----------------------2---5---|2-------------------4---7---2-------------------4---7---2-------|
B|2-------------------4-----------2-------------------4-----------|4-----------4---5-----------4-----------4---5-----------4-------|
G|2-----------2---4---------------2-----------2---4---------------|4-------4-------------------4-------4-------------------4-------|
D|1---1---4-----------------------1---1---4-----------------------|2---6-----------------------2---6-----------------------2---6---|
A|2-------------------------------2-------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|
E|----------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|

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