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Wave in E
Wave in E — Jobim at his most harmonically refined, with elegant chromatic voice leading throughout. Lydian mode suits the floating tonic sections; Lydian Dominant captures the characteristic altered dominant sound. Changes: Emaj7 – Cdim7 – Bm7 – E7b9 – Amaj7 – Am6 – G#13 – G#7b13 – C#9 – C#7b9 – F#9 – C7 – B7 – Em7 – A7 – Am7/Bb – D7/Bb – Gmaj7/A – Gm7/Ab – C7/Ab – Fmaj7/G – B7b9.
Key of E
E major is arguably guitar's most powerful key. The open low E and high E strings ring sympathetically as the root, while the open B provides the fifth. This triple reinforcement gives E-based riffs and chords unmatched depth and volume. E is a beginner-level key on guitar because both the low E and high E strings ring as the root, and the open B is the fifth — three open strings reinforce the tonic chord. Beginners will find this key approachable since most chords use open voicings with minimal stretching.
Voice Leading
The bass line moves through E to C (descending major third), C to B (descending half step), B to E (ascending perfect fourth), E to A (ascending perfect fourth), A to A (ascending unison), A to G# (descending half step), G# to G# (ascending unison), G# to C# (ascending perfect fourth), C# to C# (ascending unison), C# to F# (ascending perfect fourth), F# to C (ascending tritone), C to B (descending half step), B to E (ascending perfect fourth), E to A (ascending perfect fourth), A to A (ascending unison), A to D (ascending perfect fourth), D to G (ascending perfect fourth), G to G (ascending unison), G to C (ascending perfect fourth), C to F (ascending perfect fourth), F to B (ascending tritone). A half-step bass movement creates a strong leading-tone pull that demands resolution. The root motion by larger intervals (fourths and fifths) gives each chord change a strong, decisive character. When the progression loops, the bass returns from B to E by perfect fourth.
Scales for Improvisation
E major pentatonic works because every note is either a chord tone or a safe passing tone — there are no avoid notes. For soloing, this means you can play freely without clashing. Over dominant seventh chords, E Mixolydian adds the flat seventh for an authentic blues-rock edge.