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Guitar chords · Minor 9th

E♭m9 chord on guitar (Ebm9)

E♭m9 (E♭ minor 9th) has five notes: E♭, G♭, B♭, D♭ and F, the , ♭3, 5, ♭7 and 9.

Shapes

How to play E♭m9

Strum a shape to hear it, or pick it one string at a time. R marks the ; the other numbers are the chord tones.

E♭m9 has no common . Play it as the A shape at 6 or the E shape at fret 11. A keeps its fingering anywhere on the neck: slide it up or down and the , on the lowest played string, names the chord.

  • A shape · fret 6

    4fr××R♭3♭79E♭G♭D♭F
  • E shape · fret 11

    11fr×R♭7♭359E♭D♭G♭B♭F
Name a shape you're holding: the chord finder

Notes and formula

What makes E♭m9 minor 9th

A minor 9th chord adds the 9th to a minor . It sounds smooth and moody, the sound of neo-soul, R&B and jazz ballads. Keep the ♭3rd, the ♭7th and the 9th; the 5th can go.

  • 1Root: the note the chord is named after. Keep it.
  • 3Essential: makes the chord what it is. Never drop it.
  • 5Optional: drop it first when you run out of fingers.

The ♭3rd, the ♭7th and the 9th make E♭m9 a minor 9th chord; you can leave out the 5th.

  1. E♭Rroot
  2. G♭♭3essential
  3. B♭5optional
  4. D♭♭7essential
  5. F9essential
EADGBE0135791215E♭E♭E♭E♭E♭E♭E♭FG♭B♭D♭FG♭B♭D♭FG♭B♭FG♭B♭D♭FB♭D♭FG♭B♭D♭FG♭B♭D♭FG♭B♭D♭FG♭
  • E♭, the root
  • Other chord tones

E♭m9 often leads to A♭7 and then D♭: the ii9–V7–I of D♭ major.

E♭m9 and D♯m9 are the same chord with two names: same , same sound. Which one you see depends on the key the song is written in.

Keys

Keys with E♭m9

E♭m9 belongs to four keys: G♭ major (vi9), D♭ major (ii9), E♭ minor (i9) and B♭ minor (iv9).

Numerals follow the key's own scale, so III, VI and VII in a minor key are its own major chords. A ♭ or ♯ in front marks a chord from outside the key. How Roman numerals work

Slash chords

E♭m9 over another bass note

A keeps E♭m9 on top and puts another note in the bass: the letter after the slash is the lowest note you play.

  • E♭m9/G♭

    E♭m9 with its ♭3rd, G♭, in the bass.

  • E♭m9/B♭

    E♭m9 with its 5th, B♭, in the bass.

  • E♭m9/D♭

    E♭m9 with its ♭7th, D♭, in the bass.

Questions

E♭m9, in short

What notes are in the E♭m9 chord?
E♭m9 (E♭ minor 9th) has five notes: E♭, G♭, B♭, D♭ and F, the , ♭3, 5, ♭7 and 9.
How do you play E♭m9 on guitar?
E♭m9 has no common . Play it as the A shape at 6 or the E shape at fret 11.
What key is E♭m9 in?
E♭m9 belongs to four keys: G♭ major (vi9), D♭ major (ii9), E♭ minor (i9) and B♭ minor (iv9).
Is E♭m9 the same as D♯m9?
Yes: same frets, same sound, different name. E♭m9 is the spelling in G♭ major, D♭ major, E♭ minor and B♭ minor; D♯m9 in F♯ major, C♯ major, D♯ minor and A♯ minor.
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