Em9

Em9 is E, G, B, D and F#, a minor ninth. The shape this page opens on is written 020002, lowest string first.

Also written Emin9, E-9 or E minor 9. The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 10 common shapes for Em9 on the guitar, and 48 derived voicings in 5 families.

In which keys. Every note of Em9 belongs to D major (the ii), E minor (the i), G major (the vi) and B minor (the iv).

The common shapes, written lowest string first: 020002, 022032, 354453, x7577x, x-9-9-9-8-10, x-x-9-11-8-10, 0-10-12-11-12-10, 12-10-x-11-12-10, x-10-12-11-12-12, 12-14-12-12-12-14.

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. Em9 has xx2032, x7577x, 12-10-12-11-x-x, 0x007x, x-x-14-12-15-14, x7x032.

Drop 2. A close-position chord with the second voice from the top lowered an octave. Sits on four adjacent strings. Em9 has xx2032, x5405x, x7577x, 12-10-12-11-x-x, 2520xx, 3747xx, xx4753, x-9-12-9-8-x.

Drop 3. The third voice from the top lowered an octave. The dropped voice becomes the bass, which is why a string is skipped. Em9 has 2x203x, x5x052, x7x773, 3x475x, x-9-x-9-8-10, 12-x-12-11-8-x, 14-x-14-12-15-x, 10-x-5-9-7-x.

Rootless. The root left to the bass player. Frees a finger for a tension. Em9 has xx0002, x2403x, xx4433, xx5777, x9978x, x-10-12-11-12-x, x-x-12-12-12-14, x2x032.

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. Em9 has 004433, 0x5777, 05547x, x55470, 200000, 040002.

Tensions. A shell of Em9, root, third and seventh, leaves a string free, and the tones that belong over it are the 11 (A) 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.