Eb9

Eb9 is Eb, G, Bb, Db and F, a dominant ninth. The shape this page opens on is written xx1021, lowest string first.

Also written Ebdom9 or Eb dominant 9. The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 9 common shapes for Eb9 on the guitar, and 44 derived voicings in 5 families.

In which keys. Every note of Eb9 belongs to F minor (the ♭VII) and Ab major (the V).

The common shapes, written lowest string first: xx1021, x65666, x88889, 11-8-8-10-8-9, 11-10-11-10-x-x, 11-13-11-10-11-13, 11-13-11-12-11-13, x-x-13-12-14-13, 15-x-13-15-14-13.

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. Eb9 has xx1021, x6566x, 11-10-11-10-x-x, x-x-13-12-14-13, x6x021.

Drop 2. A close-position chord with the second voice from the top lowered an octave. Sits on four adjacent strings. Eb9 has xx1021, x4304x, x6566x, 11-10-11-10-x-x, x-x-13-12-14-13, 1410xx, 3636xx, xx3643.

Drop 3. The third voice from the top lowered an octave. The dropped voice becomes the bass, which is why a string is skipped. Eb9 has 1x102x, x4x041, x6x663, 3x364x, 9x586x, x8x889, 11-x-11-10-8-x, x-10-x-10-14-11.

Rootless. The root left to the bass player. Frees a finger for a tension. Eb9 has x1302x, xx3323, xx5666, x8868x, x-x-8-10-8-9, x-10-11-10-11-x, x-x-11-12-11-13, x-x-15-15-14-15.

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. Eb9 has 36360x, x4300x.

Tensions. A shell of Eb9, root, third and seventh, leaves a string free, and the tones that belong over it are the #11 (A), the b13 (Cb) 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.