As the ii in a ii-V-ID major
- ii9Em9
- V7A7
- Imaj7Dmaj7
The standard cadence: Em9 carries the subdominant function before the dominant arrives.
Em9 Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The Em9 chord is a minor ninth chord built on the root note E. Its notes are E, G, B, D and F♯.
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
- Em9
Em9 on piano
5 notesView:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
To play Em9 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 F♯ is a black key and E, G, 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
Em9 on guitar
View:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, Em9 is commonly played with the voicing shown above. Strings 6, 4, 3 and 2 ring open.
E · G · B · D · F♯
Play Em9 on the online piano
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Em9 chord notes
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | E | |
| ♭3 | Minor third | 3 | G | |
| 5 | Perfect fifth | 7 | B | |
| ♭7 | Minor seventh | 10 | D | |
| 9 | Major ninth | 14 | F♯(F#) |
How to use the Em9 chord
The Em9 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 Em9 differs from similar chords
Em9 adds a major ninth to Em7, which sets it apart from a minor triad with only an added ninth and from E9, which has a major third. Its upper four notes form the major seventh chord a minor third above the root.
Where Em9 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 Em9 chord?
- The Em9 chord contains E, G, B, D and F♯ (E, G, B, D and F# in plain text).
- Is the Em9 chord major or minor?
- Em9 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 Em9 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 F♯ is a black key and E, G, B and D are white.
- How do you play Em9 on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. Strings 6, 4, 3 and 2 ring open.
- What chords work well with Em9?
- Em9 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.