E♯9 Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The E♯9 chord is a dominant ninth chord built on the root note E♯. Its notes are E♯, G𝄪, B♯, D♯ and F𝄪. It's enharmonically the same chord as F9.
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
- E♯9
E♯9 on piano
5 notes
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
To play E♯9 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 D♯ is a black key and E♯, G𝄪, B♯ and F𝄪 are white, the keys you'd normally call F, A, C and G. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
- E♯1
- G𝄪3
- B♯5
- D♯♭7
- F𝄪9
E♯9 on guitar
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, E♯9 is commonly played with the voicing shown above. Strings 5 and 3 ring open.
E♯ · G𝄪 · B♯ · D♯ · F𝄪
Play E♯9 on the online piano
Free, in your browser: play with the mouse, your computer keyboard or a USB MIDI keyboard. No sign-up.
E♯9 chord notes
Also known as F9
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | E♯(E#) | |
| 3 | Major third | 4 | G𝄪(G##) | |
| 5 | Perfect fifth | 7 | B♯(B#) | |
| ♭7 | Minor seventh | 10 | D♯(D#) | |
| 9 | Major ninth | 14 | F𝄪(F##) |
How to use the E♯9 chord
The E♯9 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 E♯9 differs from similar chords
E♯9 is E♯7 with a major ninth on top, so it keeps the dominant pull of the tritone. It differs from E♯maj9 in the seventh, minor rather than major, and from E♯add9, which has no seventh at all. In E♯7♭9 and E♯7♯9 the same ninth is moved a half step down or up.
Where E♯9 is used
No progression is shown for this spelling
Every key E♯9 would have a function in has a tonic that needs a double accidental, which is not a key this library teaches. The enharmonic spelling carries the same chord in a key that exists.
Questions people ask
- What notes are in the E♯9 chord?
- The E♯9 chord contains E♯, G𝄪, B♯, D♯ and F𝄪 (E#, G##, B#, D# and F## in plain text).
- Is the E♯9 chord major or minor?
- E♯9 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 E♯9 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 D♯ is a black key and E♯, G𝄪, B♯ and F𝄪 are white, the keys you'd normally call F, A, C and G.
- How do you play E♯9 on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. Strings 5 and 3 ring open.
- What is another name for the E♯9 chord?
- E♯9 is enharmonically equivalent to F9. Both chord names describe exactly the same notes, but the spelling depends on the key you are playing in.