Lonely Woman in E

Ornette Coleman / Margo Guryan(1959)swing
Do Re MiC D E
A
C♭Maj7
G♯7♯5
C♭Maj7
G♯7♯5
G13♯11
C♭Maj7
C♭Maj7
G♯7♯5

Chord Diagrams — Lonely Woman in E (Guitar)

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Lonely Woman in E

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 D (descending whole step), D to G (ascending perfect fourth), G to C# (ascending tritone), C# to Cb (descending half step), Cb to F# (ascending tritone), F# to B (ascending perfect fourth), B to E (ascending perfect fourth), E to A# (ascending tritone), A# to G# (descending whole step), G# to D (ascending tritone), D to G (ascending perfect fourth). 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 G to E by minor 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.

swing4/4 · 28 bars · Form: A

Chords: Em7, Dm7, G7, C♯m7♭5, C♭Maj7, F♯m7♭5, B7, Em9, A♯7♭5, G♯7♯5, Dm9, G13♯11.

Scales for Improvisation E bebop minor, E bebop.

Diatonic chords: See all chords in the key of E