Session 5: The E Major Chord

Duration: 50 minutes

You know two minor chords — Em and Am. Today you learn your first major chord: E major. Major chords sound bright and strong, compared to the dark, moody sound of minor chords. With Em, Am, and E in your toolkit, you have enough chords to play thousands of songs. You will also add upstrokes to your strumming, and learn a simplified version of the “N.I.B.” riff by Black Sabbath.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this session you will be able to:

1. Play the E major chord cleanly with all six strings ringing
2. Hear and describe the difference between Em (minor) and E (major)
3. Strum using a D/U (down-up) pattern at 70 BPM
4. Switch between Em, Am, and E major
5. Play the “N.I.B.” simplified riff

Materials Needed

• Your Saga SF-600C-BK guitar
• A guitar pick
• A clip-on tuner or phone tuner app
• A metronome
• Reference: Understanding Chords

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Segment 1 — Warm-Up and Stretch (5 minutes)

Finger Stretches

1. Finger spread — 3 times, hold 5 seconds each.
2. Wrist circles — 5 each direction per wrist.
3. Finger touch — 5 times per hand.

Tune Your Guitar

Tune all six strings (EADGBE).

Warm-Up Exercise

Play “Come As You Are” riff (Session 4) at 60 BPM for 4 measures. Then play Em → Am → Em → Am at 65 BPM, 2 measures each chord. This warms up both your picking and strumming skills.

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Segment 2 — Technique Focus: Upstroke Strumming and D/U Patterns (10 minutes)

The Upstroke

Until now, you have strummed with downstrokes only. An upstroke (U) is the reverse — your pick sweeps upward from string 1 (thinnest) toward string 6 (thickest).

Key differences from downstrokes:

• An upstroke naturally hits fewer strings — typically strings 1, 2, 3, and sometimes 4. You do not need to reach all 6 strings on an upstroke. This is normal and actually sounds good.
• The upstroke is lighter and thinner-sounding than the downstroke. This creates a pleasing contrast.
• Your wrist motion should flow naturally: down → up → down → up, like a pendulum.

D/U Strumming Pattern

The most basic strumming pattern in guitar is alternating downstrokes and upstrokes:

Strum: D U D U D U D U

Count: 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &

Each downstroke falls on the beat (1, 2, 3, 4). Each upstroke falls on the “and” (&). This gives you 8 strums per measure — one per eighth note.

Practice the D/U Pattern

Play Em with the D/U pattern at 60 BPM:

Strum: D U D U D U D U | D U D U D U D U

Count: 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & | 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &

Chord: Em Em

What to focus on:

• Keep the wrist swinging evenly — do not pause between D and U
• Downstrokes should be slightly louder than upstrokes (this happens naturally)
• Count aloud: “one-and-two-and-three-and-four-and”

Practice this for 4 measures on Em, then 4 measures on Am.

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Segment 3 — New Learning: E Major Chord (15 minutes)

The E Major Chord

E major uses three fingers, like Am, but produces a bright, powerful, full sound. All six strings are played.

Chord Diagram:

E

OOO

1

2

3

EADGBe

Step-by-step:

1. Place your index finger (1) on string 3 (G string), fret 1.
2. Place your middle finger (2) on string 5 (A string), fret 2.
3. Place your ring finger (3) on string 4 (D string), fret 2.
4. Strum all six strings.

Sound check: Pluck each string:

• String 6 (E): Open — clear
• String 5 (A): Fret 2 — clear (finger 2)
• String 4 (D): Fret 2 — clear (finger 3)
• String 3 (G): Fret 1 — clear (finger 1)
• String 2 (B): Open — clear
• String 1 (E): Open — clear

Em vs E — Hear the Difference

Strum Em once. Let it ring for 3 seconds. Now strum E major once. Let it ring for 3 seconds. Do this 5 times back and forth.

• Em sounds dark, sad, introspective
• E major sounds bright, confident, resolved

This is the difference between major and minor. Same root note (E), completely different mood. The only physical difference: E major adds finger 1 on string 3 fret 1. That one note changes everything.

Three-Chord Transition Practice

You now know three chords: Em, Am, and E. Practise transitioning between all pairs:

Em → E: This is easy — E major is Em plus finger 1 on string 3 fret 1. To go from Em to E, just add your index finger. Fingers 2 and 3 stay exactly where they are.

E → Em: Lift your index finger off string 3 fret 1. Fingers 2 and 3 do not move.

Em → Am: (Review from Session 3) Slide fingers 2 and 3 one string each, add finger 1 on string 2 fret 1.

Am → E: Finger 2 slides from string 4 to string 5 (same fret 2). Finger 3 stays on fret 2, moves from string 3 to string 4. Finger 1 moves from string 2 fret 1 to string 3 fret 1.

Drill: Cycle through Em → Am → E → Em → Am → E at a slow, steady pace. One strum per chord. No metronome — focus on clean placement. Do 10 complete cycles.

Metronome drill: Set to 50 BPM. One chord per beat: Em (beat 1), Am (beat 2), E (beat 3), rest (beat 4). Repeat for 8 measures. This is fast — if you cannot keep up, try one chord per two beats (one chord per measure at 50 BPM in 4/4).

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Segment 4 — Song Workshop: “N.I.B.” — Black Sabbath (15 minutes)

Song Information

Song: “N.I.B.” Artist: Black Sabbath Album: Black Sabbath (1970) What you are learning: A simplified version of the main chord riff that drives the verse. This riff uses Em and E major with a heavy, driving strumming pattern — exactly the two chords whose relationship you just explored.

Tempo: 65 BPM (the original is approximately 130 BPM — you are playing at half speed) Strumming pattern: D D U U D U (per measure)

Strumming Pattern Breakdown

Before applying it to the song, learn the pattern on Em alone:

Strum: D D U U D U

Count: 1 2 & 3 4 &

How it works:

• Beat 1: Downstroke
• Beat 2: Downstroke
• “And” of 2: Upstroke
• Beat 3: Upstroke (this one falls on a beat but is an upstroke — it gives the pattern a shuffling feel)
• Beat 4: Downstroke
• “And” of 4: Upstroke

Practice this pattern on Em at 60 BPM until it feels natural. Count aloud: “ONE, TWO-and, THREE, FOUR-and.”

Complete Transcription — “N.I.B.” Simplified Riff

Structure: 2 measures Em, 2 measures E major, repeat

Section: Verse Riff (repeats throughout)

Strum: D D U U D U | D D U U D U

Count: 1 2 & 3 4 & | 1 2 & 3 4 &

Chord: Em Em

 

Strum: D D U U D U | D D U U D U

Count: 1 2 & 3 4 & | 1 2 & 3 4 &

Chord: E E

TAB:

Measures 1-2 (Em): 


e|---0-------0---0---0---0---|---0-------0---0---0---0---|
B|---0-------0---0---0---0---|---0-------0---0---0---0---|
G|---0-------0---0---0---0---|---0-------0---0---0---0---|
D|---2-------2---2---2---2---|---2-------2---2---2---2---|
A|---2-------2---2---2---2---|---2-------2---2---2---2---|
E|---0-------0---0---0---0---|---0-------0---0---0---0---|
     D   D   U   U   D   U       D   D   U   U   D   U


Measures 3-4 (E major): 


e|---0-------0---0---0---0---|---0-------0---0---0---0---|
B|---0-------0---0---0---0---|---0-------0---0---0---0---|
G|---1-------1---1---1---1---|---1-------1---1---1---1---|
D|---2-------2---2---2---2---|---2-------2---2---2---2---|
A|---2-------2---2---2---2---|---2-------2---2---2---2---|
E|---0-------0---0---0---0---|---0-------0---0---0---0---|
     D   D   U   U   D   U       D   D   U   U   D   U

Repeat: Play measures 1–4, then repeat from the beginning. The riff loops continuously.

How to Learn This

Step 1: Play the strumming pattern (D D U U D U) on Em only, at 55 BPM. 4 measures.

Step 2: Play the pattern on E major only, at 55 BPM. 4 measures.

Step 3: Alternate — 2 measures Em, 2 measures E. The transition from Em to E is adding finger 1. The transition from E to Em is lifting finger 1. This is the easiest chord change you will ever make.

Step 4: Gradually increase tempo — 55, 60, 65 BPM.

What it should sound like: Heavy, rhythmic, and powerful. The Em sections are dark and brooding. When E major arrives, it brightens suddenly — like stepping from shadow into light. This contrast is what makes the riff compelling.

Performance tip: Hit the downstrokes harder than the upstrokes to give the riff a driving, aggressive feel. This is a rock riff — it should not sound delicate.

Steel-string break: After playing through the riff 4 times, put the guitar down for 30 seconds. Shake out your hands. Your fretting hand has been holding chord shapes for several minutes — give it a brief rest.

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Segment 5 — Review and Practice Plan (5 minutes)

What You Learned Today

• The E major chord (finger 1 string 3 fret 1, finger 2 string 5 fret 2, finger 3 string 4 fret 2)
• The difference between major (bright) and minor (dark) chords
• Upstroke strumming and the basic D/U eighth-note pattern
• The D D U U D U strumming pattern
• Em ↔ E major transition (add/remove finger 1)
• “N.I.B.” simplified verse riff by Black Sabbath

Common Mistakes

1. Missing string 3 fret 1 in E major — Finger 1 is the only difference between Em and E. Make sure it presses cleanly without touching strings 2 or 4.
2. Upstrokes too loud or too harsh — Upstrokes should be lighter than downstrokes. Let the pick glide through the top 3–4 strings only.
3. Losing the strumming pattern — D D U U D U is tricky at first. If you lose it, stop, reset, and start again from beat 1. Saying the pattern aloud helps: “down, down-up, up, down-up.”
4. Rushing the Em → E change — Even though it is just one finger, take time to place it accurately. A buzzing E major sounds worse than a slightly late clean one.
5. Not resting the strumming hand — Your strumming wrist may tire from the D/U pattern. If it aches, pause and let your arm hang by your side for 15 seconds.

Self-Check Questions

1. Can you play E major with all six strings ringing clearly?
2. Can you switch between Em and E major without looking at your fretting hand?
3. Can you play the D D U U D U pattern steadily for 4 measures without losing the sequence?
4. Can you hear the difference between Em and E major when you strum them back to back?
5. Can you play the “N.I.B.” riff for 8 measures at 60 BPM?

Practice Plan (Daily, 20–25 minutes)

Block	Time	Activity
Warm-Up	3 min	Finger stretches + tune your guitar
Chord Review	3 min	Em (4 strums D/U), Am (4 strums D/U), E (4 strums D/U), cycle 3 times
Transition Drill	4 min	Em → Am → E → Em, one chord per beat at 50 BPM. 10 cycles
N.I.B. Riff	8 min	Practise the riff at your comfortable tempo. Work toward 65 BPM. Focus on the strumming pattern
Come As You Are	4 min	Maintenance: play the riff from Session 4 at 60–70 BPM. Keep your picking skills sharp

Steel-string note: You are now in your second week. Your fingertips should be developing visible calluses — slightly hardened, less red, less tender. If you have been practicing daily, the worst of the pain is behind you. If you skipped days, you may still be sore — that is okay, just get back on the daily schedule.

Guitar Tip — Saga SF-600C-BK

Your Saga’s dreadnought body produces a naturally loud, full sound. When playing the “N.I.B.” riff with the D D U U D U pattern, the dreadnought projection means you do not need to strum hard to fill a room. Focus on control and even strums rather than force. The guitar does the heavy lifting on volume.