Ebmmaj9

EbmMaj9 is Eb, Gb, Bb, D and F, a minor major ninth. The shape this page opens on is written 111332, lowest string first.

Also written EbmM9, Ebm(maj9) or Eb-Δ9. The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 6 common shapes for EbmMaj9 on the guitar, and 28 derived voicings in 4 families.

The common shapes, written lowest string first: 111332, x6476x, 698766, 11-9-x-10-11-10, 11-9-12-10-x-x, 11-13-12-11-11-13.

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. EbmMaj9 has x6476x, 11-9-12-10-x-x, x-x-13-11-15-13.

Drop 2. A close-position chord with the second voice from the top lowered an octave. Sits on four adjacent strings. EbmMaj9 has x6476x, 11-9-12-10-x-x, x-x-13-11-15-13, 2637xx, xx3742, x-8-12-8-7-x, x-x-12-10-7-11.

Drop 3. The third voice from the top lowered an octave. The dropped voice becomes the bass, which is why a string is skipped. EbmMaj9 has x-8-x-8-7-10, 13-x-13-11-15-x, x6x762, 2x374x, 11-x-12-10-7-x.

Rootless. The root left to the bass player. Frees a finger for a tension. EbmMaj9 has xx3332, x8877x, x-x-12-11-11-13, x-x-15-15-15-14, x5x362, x5436x, xx4766, x8x776.

Tensions. A shell of EbmMaj9, root, third and seventh, leaves a string free, and the tones that belong over it are the 11 (Ab) 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.