E9 guitar chord

3rd inversion · D in the bass
  • Tap a note to hear it
  • Arrows change position
  • Fingers, notes or intervals
  • Play the chord

About E9 — 3rd inversion

E9 keeps the dominant notes of and includes the : E, G#, B, D and F#. A plain 9 chord includes the flat 7th.

The major 3rd and flat 7th still identify the dominant. The 9th can carry the upper line into the next chord.

Also written Edom9 or E dominant 9.

E9 3rd inversion guitar chord diagram: E, G#, B, D, F#, played x-x-12-13-12-14
E9 3rd inversion guitar chord voicing: x-x-12-13-12-14.

What 3rd inversion means

E9 in 3rd inversion puts D in the bass instead of E, the 7th of the chord. The notes are the same; what changes is what the bass line does, which is most of why you would reach for it — it lets the lowest voice move by step where the root would have jumped.

One of E9’s 13 shapes does this:x-x-12-13-12-14

How to use E9

1In place of a V7

V in A major

E9 goes wherever a dominant seventh goes; the ninth is only an added colour. When the chord resolves, the ninth does what the seventh does and falls a step.

Compare with

Listen for: The ninth falls a whole step to the fifth of the I. On the plain seventh chord that string plays the root, which just holds.

In which keys. Every note of E9 belongs to F# minor and A major.

What to play over E9

Useful scales

Every scale

Chords near E9

Remove a note

Change one note

  • open strings
    open strings
    D → D#

    Raise the flat seventh to the major seventh.

    See Emaj9 chord →
  • open strings
    open strings
    G# → G

    Lower the major third to the minor third.

    See Em9 chord →
  • D → C#

    Lower the flat seventh to the sixth.

    See E69 chord →
  • 3rd inversion
    3rd inversion
    B → Bb

    Lower the fifth to the flat fifth.

    See E9b5 chord →
  • open strings
    open strings
    B → B#

    Raise the fifth to the sharp fifth.

    See Eaug9 chord →
  • open strings
    open strings
    F# → F

    Lower the ninth to the flat ninth.

    See E7b9 chord →

Dominant seventh chords on every root

The common shapes and the derived voicings come from different places, and both are explained in how this site is built.

Midi Settings

7.5
Play Style
One pass of the pick from the lowest string up, everything left ringing.
Instrument
350
150

Style

Shows each chord the way this style would voice it, and marks which of its alternatives belong to the idiom.

Layout

Left Handed Mode