E69

E69 is E, G#, B, C# and F#, a six-nine. The shape this page opens on is written 022122, lowest string first.

Also written E6/9, E6add9 or E six nine. The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 10 common shapes for E69 on the guitar, and 43 derived voicings in 5 families.

In which keys. Every note of E69 belongs to C# minor (the ♭III), E major (the I), F# minor (the ♭VII), Ab minor (the ♭VI), A major (the V) and B major (the IV).

The common shapes, written lowest string first: 022122, xx2122, x22122, x44454, x74654, x76677, x99999, 0-11-11-11-12-12, 12-11-11-11-12-12, x-x-14-13-14-14.

Shell. Root, third and seventh: the guide tones fix the quality, so the fifth is dropped. That is what leaves a string free, so pick a tension to put on top. E69 has xx2122, x7667x, 12-11-11-11-x-x, x-x-14-13-14-14.

Drop 2. A close-position chord with the second voice from the top lowered an octave. Sits on four adjacent strings. E69 has xx2122, xx4654, x7667x, x-9-11-9-9-x, 12-11-11-11-x-x, x-x-14-13-14-14, 2421xx, x4415x.

Drop 3. The third voice from the top lowered an octave. The dropped voice becomes the bass, which is why a string is skipped. E69 has 2x212x, x4x152, x7x674, 4x465x, 9x697x, x9x999, 12-x-11-11-9-x, x-11-x-11-14-12.

Rootless. The root left to the bass player. Frees a finger for a tension. E69 has xx4424, xx6677, x-x-9-11-9-9, x-11-11-11-12-x, x2x122, x2412x, x4647x, x4x474.

Open string. An open string left ringing against a fretted grip. Because it costs no finger, it sounds a note the closed shape has none left for -- a tension on top, or a pedal root underneath. Either a familiar grip with open strings added, or a shape so sparse the open strings carry the chord. These belong to their key rather than to a shape, so D, A, G and E have many and Eb a handful. E69 has 0x6677, 04647x, 47460x, x46470.

Tensions. A shell of E69, root, third and seventh, leaves a string free, and the tones that belong over it are the #11 (A#).

The common shapes and the derived voicings come from different places, and both are explained in where the chords and the theory come from.