Satin Doll in E

Satin Doll in E

E Satin Doll: Ellington's chain of ii-V pairs moving through multiple key areas in a single phrase. Dorian over the iim7 chords, Mixolydian over the dominants — textbook bebop vocabulary. Changes: F#m7 – B7 – G#m7 – C#7 – C#m9 – F#9 – Cm9 – F9 – E – A7 – Bm7 – E7 – E7b9 – AMaj7 – C#m7 – Dm7 – F#7 – F#7b9.

Satin Doll in 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 G# (descending minor third), G# to C# (ascending perfect fourth), C# to C# (ascending unison), C# to F# (ascending perfect fourth), F# to C (ascending tritone), C to F (ascending perfect fourth), F to E (descending half step), E to A (ascending perfect fourth), A to B (ascending whole step), B to E (ascending perfect fourth), E to E (ascending unison), E to A (ascending perfect fourth), A to C# (ascending major third), C# to D (ascending half step), D to F# (ascending major third), F# to F# (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 F# to F# by unison.

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.