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 Fm9.
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 notes
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 G♯ and D♯ are black keys and E♯, B♯ and F𝄪 are white, the keys you'd normally call F, 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♯m9 on guitar
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 1 and 4. String 3 rings open.
E♯ · G♯ · B♯ · D♯ · F𝄪
Try E♯m9 on the virtual piano
Free, in your browser: play with the mouse, your computer keyboard or a USB MIDI keyboard. No sign-up.
E♯m9 chord notes
Also known as Fm9
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | E♯(E#) | |
| ♭3 | Minor third | 3 | 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♯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
No progression is shown for this spelling
Every key E♯m9 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♯m9 chord?
- The E♯m9 chord contains E♯, G♯, B♯, D♯ and F𝄪 (E#, G#, B#, D# 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 G♯ and D♯ are black keys and E♯, B♯ and F𝄪 are white, the keys you'd normally call F, C and G.
- How do you play E♯m9 on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. The fretted notes sit between frets 1 and 4. String 3 rings open.
- What is another name for the E♯m9 chord?
- E♯m9 is enharmonically equivalent to Fm9. Both chord names describe exactly the same notes, but the spelling depends on the key you are playing in.