E7b9

E7b9 is E, G#, B, D and F, a seven flat nine. The shape this page opens on is written 020101, lowest string first.

Also written E7(b9), E7-9 or E7♭9. The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 8 common shapes for E7b9 on the guitar, and 47 derived voicings in 5 families.

The common shapes, written lowest string first: 020101, xx2131, 050464, x76767, 12-11-12-10-x-x, x-x-12-13-12-13, 12-14-12-13-12-13, x-x-14-13-15-13.

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. E7b9 has xx2131, x7676x, 12-11-12-10-x-x, x-x-14-13-15-13, 0x016x, 0-5-6-10-x-x.

Drop 2. A close-position chord with the second voice from the top lowered an octave. Sits on four adjacent strings. E7b9 has xx2131, x7676x, 12-11-12-10-x-x, x-x-14-13-15-13, 1521xx, x5315x, 4737xx, xx3754.

Drop 3. The third voice from the top lowered an octave. The dropped voice becomes the bass, which is why a string is skipped. E7b9 has 1x213x, x5x151, 4x375x, x7x764, 10-x-6-9-6-x, x-8-x-9-9-10, 12-x-12-10-9-x, 13-x-14-13-15-x.

Rootless. The root left to the bass player. Frees a finger for a tension. E7b9 has xx0101, x2313x, xx3434, x5646x, xx6767, x8979x, x-x-9-10-9-10, x-11-12-10-12-x.

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. E7b9 has 05646x, 050464, 0x3434, x56460.

Tensions. A shell of E7b9, root, third and seventh, leaves a string free, and the tones that belong over it are the #11 (A#), the b13 (C) and the 13 (C#).

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