Eb69

Eb69 is Eb, G, Bb, C and F, a six-nine. The shape this page opens on is written xx1011, lowest string first.

Also written Eb6/9, Eb6add9 or Eb six nine. The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 8 common shapes for Eb69 on the guitar, and 43 derived voicings in 4 families.

In which keys. Every note of Eb69 belongs to C minor (the ♭III), Eb major (the I), F minor (the ♭VII), G minor (the ♭VI), Ab major (the V) and Bb major (the IV).

The common shapes, written lowest string first: xx1011, x33343, x63543, x65566, x88888, 11-10-10-10-11-11, x-x-13-12-13-13, x-13-13-12-13-13.

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. Eb69 has xx1011, x6556x, 11-10-10-10-x-x, x-x-13-12-13-13, x6x011.

Drop 2. A close-position chord with the second voice from the top lowered an octave. Sits on four adjacent strings. Eb69 has xx1011, 1310xx, xx3543, x3304x, x6556x, x-8-10-8-8-x, 11-10-10-10-x-x, x-x-13-12-13-13.

Drop 3. The third voice from the top lowered an octave. The dropped voice becomes the bass, which is why a string is skipped. Eb69 has 1x101x, x3x041, x6x563, 3x354x, 8x586x, x8x888, 11-x-10-10-8-x, x-10-x-10-13-11.

Rootless. The root left to the bass player. Frees a finger for a tension. Eb69 has xx3313, x1301x, xx5566, x-x-8-10-8-8, x-10-10-10-11-x, x-x-15-15-13-15, x1x011, x3536x.

Tensions. A shell of Eb69, 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.