E♯maj9 Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The E♯maj9 chord is a major ninth chord built on the root note E♯. Its notes are E♯, G𝄪, B♯, D𝄪 and F𝄪. It's enharmonically the same chord as Fmaj9.
Major ninth chords are lush and floating. A major seventh chord with a ninth added, they are one of the sweetest sounds in jazz and neo-soul, warm enough to sit still on for a whole bar.
- Notes
- E♯ · G𝄪 · B♯ · D𝄪 · F𝄪
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · 5 · 7 · 9
- Semitones
- 0 · 4 · 7 · 11 · 14
- Note
- E♯
- Quality
- Major 9
- Symbol
- E♯maj9
E♯maj9 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♯maj9 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 every note of E♯maj9 is a white key, the keys you'd normally call F, A, C, E 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♯maj9 on guitar
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, E♯maj9 is commonly played with the voicing shown above. The fretted notes sit between frets 1 and 2. Strings 5, 3 and 1 ring open.
E♯ · G𝄪 · B♯ · D𝄪 · F𝄪
Play E♯maj9 on the online piano
Free, in your browser: play with the mouse, your computer keyboard or a USB MIDI keyboard. No sign-up.
E♯maj9 chord notes
Also known as Fmaj9
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | E♯(E#) | |
| 3 | Major third | 4 | G𝄪(G##) | |
| 5 | Perfect fifth | 7 | B♯(B#) | |
| 7 | Major seventh | 11 | D𝄪(D##) | |
| 9 | Major ninth | 14 | F𝄪(F##) |
How to use the E♯maj9 chord
The E♯maj9 chord is built from a root, a major third, a perfect fifth, a major 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.
Major ninth chords work as the I or IV chord where a major seventh would do, adding depth without changing the function. Bossa nova, jazz, soul and R&B treat them as a default tonic sound.
How E♯maj9 differs from similar chords
E♯maj9 stacks a major ninth on E♯maj7, and it differs from E♯9 only in the seventh, a half step higher. Without that major seventh it would be E♯add9. Its upper four notes form the minor seventh chord a major third above the root, which is how pianists often voice it.
Where E♯maj9 is used
No progression is shown for this spelling
Every key E♯maj9 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♯maj9 chord?
- The E♯maj9 chord contains E♯, G𝄪, B♯, D𝄪 and F𝄪 (E#, G##, B#, D## and F## in plain text).
- Is the E♯maj9 chord major or minor?
- E♯maj9 is a major ninth chord. Major ninth chords are lush and floating. A major seventh chord with a ninth added, they are one of the sweetest sounds in jazz and neo-soul, warm enough to sit still on for a whole bar.
- How do you play E♯maj9 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 every note of E♯maj9 is a white key, the keys you'd normally call F, A, C, E and G.
- How do you play E♯maj9 on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. The fretted notes sit between frets 1 and 2. Strings 5, 3 and 1 ring open.
- What is another name for the E♯maj9 chord?
- E♯maj9 is enharmonically equivalent to Fmaj9. Both chord names describe exactly the same notes, but the spelling depends on the key you are playing in.