Chords
E Suspended fourth flat ninth
Eb · Ab · Bb · Db · F
E Suspended fourth flat ninth (Ebb9sus) is a other chord of 5 notes: Eb · Ab · Bb · Db · F.
Also written Ebphryg · Eb7b9sus · Eb7b9sus4 · Eb9sus4 · Eb9sus
E Suspended fourth flat ninth
Eb · Ab · Bb · Db · F
Voicings on the piano
| Voicing | Notes | Play it on your instrument |
|---|---|---|
| Closed, root position | Eb3 · Ab3 · Bb3 · Db4 · F4 | |
| Open (drop 2) | Db3 · Eb3 · Ab3 · Bb3 · F4 | |
| Shell | Eb3 · Ab3 · Db4 | |
| Rootless | Ab3 · Db4 · F4 |
Tap a key or a fret to hear it.
Anatomy
E Suspended fourth flat ninth (Eb9sus) contains the notes Eb · Ab · Bb · Db · F, each with a role measured as an interval from the root.
Read on: how triads are built · seventh chords · extensions
Inversions
An inversion of E Suspended fourth flat ninth puts a chord tone other than Eb in the bass; the name after the slash is that bass note.
Where it lives
The keys and the scales E Suspended fourth flat ninth belongs to.
In which keys
E Suspended fourth flat ninth is diatonic to 6 keys; the numeral is its degree and the label its harmonic function.
- F# majorVIb9susTonic
- D# minorIb9susTonic
- Db majorIIb9susSubdominant
- Bb minorIVb9susSubdominant
- Ab majorVb9susDominant
- F minorVIIb9susSubdominant
Extensions beyond the seventh count when every note sits in the key.
Scales that contain it
E Suspended fourth flat ninth fits inside these scales, each built on Eb.
- Eb MinorE · F# · G · A · B · C · D
- Eb DorianE · F# · G · A · B · C# · D
- Eb MixolydianE · F# · G# · A · B · C# · D
- Eb PiongioE · F# · A · B · C# · D
- Eb Mixolydian b6E · F# · G# · A · B · C · D
- Eb BebopE · F# · G# · A · B · C# · D · D#
- Eb Bebop MinorE · F# · G · G# · A · B · C# · D
- Eb Minor BebopE · F# · G · A · B · C · D · D#
Understanding the E Suspended fourth flat ninth chord
Names and symbols
Ebb9sus is the chord symbol for E Suspended fourth flat ninth; it is also written Ebphryg, Eb7b9sus, Eb7b9sus4, Eb9sus4, Eb9sus.
sus on its own means sus4, and 7sus means 7sus4. sus2 is sometimes written add9(no3), which names the same notes from another angle.
Common questions
- What notes are in the E Suspended fourth flat ninth chord?
- The E Suspended fourth flat ninth chord contains the notes Eb · Ab · Bb · Db · F: the root Eb with the intervals 1P, 4P, 5P, 7m, 9M stacked above it. Play them together for the chord or one after another for an arpeggio. The lowest note is normally Eb, but any chord tone can take the bass in an inversion.
- What intervals make up the E Suspended fourth flat ninth chord?
- Measured from Eb, the E Suspended fourth flat ninth chord stacks the intervals 1P, 4P, 5P, 7m, 9M. The quality of the third and of the seventh, if there is one, is what gives the chord its character; the rest of the notes colour it. Every interval in the formula links to its own page, with its sound.
- How do I play the E Suspended fourth flat ninth chord?
- On guitar the most common E Suspended fourth flat ninth shape is x11121, read from the lowest string to the highest; the instrument panel above shows several more with their fingerings. On piano play Eb3 · Ab3 · Bb3 · Db4 · F4 with the right hand, or move the root down into the left hand and keep the rest above it. Every shape on this page plays when you press it.