As the ii in a ii-V-ID♭ major
- ii9E♭m9
- V7A♭7
- Imaj7D♭maj7
The standard cadence: E♭m9 carries the subdominant function before the dominant arrives.
E♭m9 Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The E♭m9 chord is a minor ninth chord built on the root note E♭. Its notes are E♭, G♭, B♭, D♭ and F. It's enharmonically the same chord as D♯m9.
Transpose
Quality
Short answer
Minor ninth chords are smooth, cool and slightly melancholy. The ninth widens a minor seventh into something more spacious, which is why it anchors so much modern R&B, house and jazz comping.
- Notes
- E♭ · G♭ · B♭ · D♭ · F
- Formula
- 1 · ♭3 · 5 · ♭7 · 9
- Semitones
- 0 · 3 · 7 · 10 · 14
- Note
- E♭
- Quality
- Minor 9
- Symbol
- E♭m9
E♭m9 on piano
5 notesView:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
To play E♭m9 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 E♭, G♭, B♭ and D♭ are black keys and F is white. The thumb starts on a black key, so slide the whole hand a little further in, towards the fallboard. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
- E♭1
- G♭♭3
- B♭5
- D♭♭7
- F9
E♭m9 on guitar
View:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, E♭m9 is commonly played with the voicing shown above. The fretted notes sit between frets 4 and 6. Don't play string 6.
E♭ · G♭ · B♭ · D♭ · F
Play E♭m9 on the online piano
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E♭m9 chord notes
Also known as D♯m9
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | E♭(Eb) | |
| ♭3 | Minor third | 3 | G♭(Gb) | |
| 5 | Perfect fifth | 7 | B♭(Bb) | |
| ♭7 | Minor seventh | 10 | D♭(Db) | |
| 9 | Major ninth | 14 | F |
How to use the E♭m9 chord
The E♭m9 chord is built from a root, a minor 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.
Minor ninth chords stand in for minor sevenths as the ii chord in a ii-V-I, or as the tonic of a minor groove. Neo-soul, house, jazz and R&B use them as the default minor colour.
How E♭m9 differs from similar chords
E♭m9 adds a major ninth to E♭m7, which sets it apart from a minor triad with only an added ninth and from E♭9, which has a major third. Its upper four notes form the major seventh chord a minor third above the root.
Where E♭m9 is used
A minor chord works as the tonic of its own key, and as the vi or the ii of a major one. Each progression below is written in the key its numerals name.
Questions people ask
- What notes are in the E♭m9 chord?
- The E♭m9 chord contains E♭, G♭, B♭, D♭ and F (Eb, Gb, Bb, Db and F in plain text).
- Is the E♭m9 chord major or minor?
- E♭m9 is a minor ninth chord. Minor ninth chords are smooth, cool and slightly melancholy. The ninth widens a minor seventh into something more spacious, which is why it anchors so much modern R&B, house and jazz comping.
- How do you play E♭m9 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 E♭, G♭, B♭ and D♭ are black keys and F is white. The thumb starts on a black key, so slide the whole hand a little further in, towards the fallboard.
- How do you play E♭m9 on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. The fretted notes sit between frets 4 and 6. Don't play string 6.
- What is another name for the E♭m9 chord?
- E♭m9 is enharmonically equivalent to D♯m9. Both chord names describe exactly the same notes, but the spelling depends on the key you are playing in.