Ebmaj9

Ebmaj9 is Eb, G, Bb, D and F, a major ninth. The shape this page opens on is written x63333, lowest string first.

Also written EbM9, EbΔ9, Ebma9 or Eb major 9. The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 11 common shapes for Ebmaj9 on the guitar, and 45 derived voicings in 5 families.

In which keys. Every note of Ebmaj9 belongs to C minor (the ♭III), Eb major (the I), G minor (the ♭VI) and Bb major (the IV).

The common shapes, written lowest string first: x63333, x6576x, 66576x, x-8-8-8-8-10, x-x-8-10-8-10, 11-8-8-8-8-10, 11-10-12-10-11-10, 11-13-12-12-11-13, x-x-12-12-11-13, x-x-13-12-15-13, 15-13-13-15-15-13.

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. Ebmaj9 has xx1031, x6576x, 11-10-12-10-x-x, x-x-13-12-15-13, x6x031.

Drop 2. A close-position chord with the second voice from the top lowered an octave. Sits on four adjacent strings. Ebmaj9 has xx1031, x5304x, x6576x, 11-10-12-10-x-x, 1510xx, 3637xx, xx3743, x-8-12-8-8-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. Ebmaj9 has 1x103x, x5x041, x6x763, 3x374x, x-8-x-8-8-10, 11-x-12-10-8-x, 13-x-13-12-15-x, 10-x-5-8-6-x.

Rootless. The root left to the bass player. Frees a finger for a tension. Ebmaj9 has x1303x, xx3333, xx5766, x8878x, x-x-8-10-8-10, x-10-12-10-11-x, x-x-12-12-11-13, x-x-15-15-15-15.

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. Ebmaj9 has xx0066, 6x006x, 3x006x.

Tensions. A shell of Ebmaj9, 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.