Do Re MiC D E

Maze, The

Hancock Herbie4/4medium-swing

Chord Diagrams — Maze, The in E (Guitar)

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Maze, The 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 A (ascending perfect fourth), A to A (ascending unison), A to G (descending whole step), G to F# (descending half step), F# to F (descending half step), F to A (ascending major third), A to B (ascending whole step), B to F (ascending tritone). A half-step bass movement creates a strong leading-tone pull that demands resolution. The predominantly stepwise bass motion creates smooth, connected voice leading. When the progression loops, the bass returns from F to E by half step.

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 · 37 bars · Form: AB

Chords: Em7, A/E, Am7, Gm7, F♯m7♭5, F13, A7, B7♭9, Fmaj7.

Scales for Improvisation E bebop minor, E bebop.

Diatonic chords: See all chords in the key of E