E9b5

E9b5 is E, G#, Bb, D and F#, a nine flat five. The shape this page opens on is written 012132, lowest string first.

Also written E9(b5), E9-5 or E9♭5. The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 7 common shapes for E9b5 on the guitar, and 24 derived voicings in 3 families.

The common shapes, written lowest string first: 012132, x12132, 054334, x76776, 098790, 12-11-12-11-11-12, 12-13-12-13-x-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. E9b5 has xx2132, x7677x, 12-11-12-11-x-x, x-x-14-13-15-14, 0563xx, x7x796, 12-x-12-13-11-x, 12-11-12-15-x-x.

Rootless. The root left to the bass player. Frees a finger for a tension. E9b5 has xx4334, xx6776, x9879x, x-11-12-11-11-x, x1x132, x1413x, x5637x, x5x374.

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. E9b5 has 0x4334.

Tensions. A shell of E9b5, root, third and seventh, leaves a string free, and the tones that belong over it are 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.