Ninths
E minor 9th chord
Silky minor sound heard all over neo-soul and jazz.
- Notes
- EGBDF♯
- Formula
- 1♭35♭79
- Built from
- root · minor 3rd · perfect 5th · minor 7th · major 9th
How to play Em9
About the E minor 9th chord
Playing it
On guitar, Em9 has an open-position shape, 024030, using three fingers alongside the open strings.
On piano, Em9 has one black key (F♯) and four white keys. In root position it spans more than an octave, so many pianists play the root with the left hand and the rest with the right.
On ukulele the usual Em9 shape is 0222, with a small 3-string barre at the 2nd fret. It leaves out the root, which a bass player (or your ear) fills in.
