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I'll Remember April in E
I'll Remember April in E: this pop standard turned jazz vehicle moves from a bright major opening to minor mid-section. Bebop Major and Dorian cover the two contrasting tonal areas — Mixolydian drives the dominant passages throughout. Chords: F#m7b5 – B7 – B7/c – G#m7 – C#9 – F#m7 – B7b9 – E – FMaj7 – E69 – E6 – A9 – DMaj7 – C#m7 – F#7 – EMaj7 – Am7 – D7 – GMaj7 – Em7 – G6 – F#m11 – D#m11 – G#9 – C#Maj7 – C#6.
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 B (ascending perfect fourth), B to B (ascending unison), B to G# (descending minor third), 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 F (ascending half step), F to E (descending half step), E to E (ascending unison), E to A (ascending perfect fourth), A to D (ascending perfect fourth), D to C# (descending half step), C# to F# (ascending perfect fourth), F# to E (descending whole step), E to A (ascending perfect fourth), A to D (ascending perfect fourth), D to G (ascending perfect fourth), G to E (descending minor third), E to G (ascending minor third), G to F# (descending half step), F# to D# (descending minor third), D# to G# (ascending perfect fourth), G# to C# (ascending perfect fourth), C# to C# (ascending unison). 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 C# to F# 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.