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Martha's Prize

Walton Cedar4/4medium-swing

Chord Diagrams — Martha's Prize in E (Guitar)

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Martha's Prize 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 B to C# (ascending whole step), C# to F# (ascending perfect fourth), F# to B (ascending perfect fourth), B to E (ascending perfect fourth), E to A# (ascending tritone), A# to A (descending half step), A to G# (descending half step), G# to C# (ascending perfect fourth), C# to E (ascending minor third), E to A# (ascending tritone), A# to B (ascending half step), B to F (ascending tritone), F to E (descending half step), E to D# (descending half step), D# to G# (ascending perfect fourth), G# to C# (ascending perfect fourth), C# to D (ascending half step), D to G (ascending perfect fourth), G to C (ascending perfect fourth), C to B (descending half step), B to E (ascending perfect fourth), E to G (ascending minor third), G to C (ascending perfect fourth), C to F (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 F to B by tritone.

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.

medium-swing4/4 · 48 bars · Form: ABA

Chords: Bsus4, C♯, F♯m7, B13, Emaj7, A♯7♯11, Amaj7, G♯7♭13, C♯m7, Emaj7/G, A♯dim7, B7sus4, Fmaj7♯11, Eo^7, D♯m7♭5, G♯7♭9, C♯m6, Dm7, G7, Cmaj7, Bm7, E7♭9, Gm7, C7, Fmaj7.

Scales for Improvisation E bebop, E bebop major.

Diatonic chords: See all chords in the key of E