As the VA major
- ii7Bm7
- V9E9
- Imaj7Amaj7
E9 is the chord that wants to resolve, so ending the loop on it hands straight back to the top.
E9 Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The E9 chord is a dominant ninth chord built on the root note E. Its notes are E, G♯, B, D and F♯.
Transpose
Quality
Short answer
Dominant ninth chords are a dominant seventh with extra shine. The ninth on top softens the bite of the tritone below it, which is why funk, soul and blues rhythm guitar lives on this chord.
- Notes
- E · G♯ · B · D · F♯
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · 5 · ♭7 · 9
- Semitones
- 0 · 4 · 7 · 10 · 14
- Note
- E
- Quality
- Dominant 9
- Symbol
- E9
E9 on piano
5 notesView:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
To play E9 on piano, place your right hand with your thumb on E, index finger on G♯, middle finger on B, ring finger on D and little finger on F♯. Press the keys together and listen for an even sound. On the keyboard G♯ and F♯ are black keys and E, B and D are white. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
- E1
- G♯3
- B5
- D♭7
- F♯9
E9 on guitar
View:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, E9 is commonly played with the voicing shown above. The fretted notes sit between frets 1 and 2. Strings 6, 4 and 2 ring open.
E · G♯ · B · D · F♯
Try E9 on the virtual piano
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E9 chord notes
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | E | |
| 3 | Major third | 4 | G♯(G#) | |
| 5 | Perfect fifth | 7 | B | |
| ♭7 | Minor seventh | 10 | D | |
| 9 | Major ninth | 14 | F♯(F#) |
How to use the E9 chord
The E9 chord is built from a root, a major third, a perfect fifth, a minor seventh and a major ninth. Start at the root E and stack the intervals to get the whole chord: E, G♯, B, D and F♯. The same formula gives you the chord in any other key.
Dominant ninth chords take the place of a plain dominant seventh in blues, funk, soul and jazz. As the V9 they resolve just like a V7 does, only with more colour on the way.
How E9 differs from similar chords
E9 is E7 with a major ninth on top, so it keeps the dominant pull of the tritone. It differs from Emaj9 in the seventh, minor rather than major, and from Eadd9, which has no seventh at all. In E7♭9 and E7♯9 the same ninth is moved a half step down or up.
Where E9 is used
A dominant chord wants to resolve. Its home is the V of a major key - and the I of a blues, where the pull never lets up.
Questions people ask
- What notes are in the E9 chord?
- The E9 chord contains E, G♯, B, D and F♯ (E, G#, B, D and F# in plain text).
- Is the E9 chord major or minor?
- E9 is a dominant ninth chord. Dominant ninth chords are a dominant seventh with extra shine. The ninth on top softens the bite of the tritone below it, which is why funk, soul and blues rhythm guitar lives on this chord.
- How do you play E9 on piano?
- Place your fingers on E, G♯, B, D and F♯ and play them together. The root usually goes to the little finger of the left hand, the upper notes to the right. On the keyboard G♯ and F♯ are black keys and E, B and D are white.
- How do you play E9 on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. The fretted notes sit between frets 1 and 2. Strings 6, 4 and 2 ring open.
- What chords work well with E9?
- E9 pairs naturally with the chords in the related section: a perfect fifth up or down, the relative major or minor, and anything sharing two notes with it.