Em9 Chord

The Em9 chord is a minor ninth chord built on the root note E. Its notes are E, G, B, D and F♯.

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.

Root

Quality

Em9 on piano

Inversion:

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To play Em9 on piano, take E in the left hand and the remaining notes - G, B, D and F♯ - in the right. Press all keys at the same time and listen for a clear, balanced sound. Practice switching to and from this chord slowly, then with a metronome at a comfortable tempo.

Em9 on guitar

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Beginner

Open

On guitar, Em9 is commonly played with the voicing shown above. If the chord contains barred notes, keep your index finger flat across the fretboard and curve the other fingers so they don't mute the open strings. Strum only the strings marked as active in the diagram for the cleanest tone.

Play the chord

Em9

E · G · B · D · F♯

Em9 chord notes

Formula: 1 · ♭3 · 5 · ♭7 · 9Notes: E · G · B · D · F♯

Degree	Interval	Semitones	Note
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. Starting from the root E, stack the intervals to get the complete chord: E, G, B, D and F♯. Learning the formula is the fastest way to transpose the chord to 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.

Common progressions

The Em9 chord works beautifully in these progressions. Click a chord name to jump to its page.

Pop progression

I → V → vi → IV

E B C♯m A

Once you are comfortable with Em9, explore neighbouring chords to unlock new progressions. The chords below share notes, keys or functions with Em9 and are a natural next step in your practice.

E♭ · G♭ · B♭ · D♭ · F

Frequently asked questions

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 the notes together. On piano, the root is usually played with the little finger of the left hand and the upper notes with the right hand.

How do you play Em9 on guitar?

Em9 is typically played using the fingering shown in the interactive diagram above. You can also try an open position if one of the chord tones lines up with an open string.

What chords work well with Em9?

Em9 pairs naturally with the chords listed in the related chords section. Chords a perfect fifth up or down, relative major or minor chords, and chords sharing two notes are all strong choices.

Keep exploring

Deepen your understanding of the Em9 chord with our other music theory tools.

Browse all chords Explore scales Explore progressions Chord Transposer Chord Finder Try the Piano Open Circle of Fifths