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Body And Soul in E
Body And Soul in E — immortalized by Coleman Hawkins, famous for its enharmonic modulation to the tritone key in the bridge. Lydian Dominant colors the bridge dominants; Bebop Major rules the outer sections. Changes: F#m7 – C#7b9 – F7 – EMaj7 – A7 – G#m7 – Gdim7 – D#m7b5 – G#7 – C#m7 – F#7 – B7 – E6 – C#7 – E – C7 – FMaj7 – Gm7 – A#m7 – D#7 – Am7 – Dm7 – Fm7 – A#7 – D#Maj7 – F#dim7 – D7.
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 F# to C# (descending perfect fourth), C# to F (ascending major third), F to E (descending half step), E to A (ascending perfect fourth), A to G# (descending half step), G# to G (descending half step), G to D# (descending major third), D# to G# (ascending perfect fourth), G# to C# (ascending perfect fourth), C# to F# (ascending perfect fourth), F# to B (ascending perfect fourth), B to E (ascending perfect fourth), E to C# (descending minor third), C# to E (ascending minor third), E to C (descending major third), C to F (ascending perfect fourth), F to G (ascending whole step), G to A# (ascending minor third), A# to D# (ascending perfect fourth), D# to A (ascending tritone), A to D (ascending perfect fourth), D to F (ascending minor third), F to A# (ascending perfect fourth), A# to D# (ascending perfect fourth), D# to F# (ascending minor third), F# to D (descending major third). 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 D to F# by major third.
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.