Chords
E Minor ninth
E · G · B · D · F#
The minor ninth chord — a m7 with a major ninth added. The signature sound of neo-soul.
Also written E-9
E Minor ninth
E · G · B · D · F#
Voicings on the piano
| Voicing | Notes | Play it on your instrument |
|---|---|---|
| Closed, root position | E3 · G3 · B3 · D4 · F#4 | |
| Open (drop 2) | D3 · E3 · G3 · B3 · F#4 | |
| Shell | E3 · G3 · D4 | |
| Rootless | G3 · D4 · F#4 |
Tap a key or a fret to hear it.
Anatomy
E Minor ninth (Em9) contains the notes E · G · B · D · 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 Minor ninth puts a chord tone other than E in the bass; the name after the slash is that bass note.
Where it lives
The keys and the scales E Minor ninth belongs to.
In which keys
E Minor ninth is diatonic to 4 keys; the numeral is its degree and the label its harmonic function.
Extensions beyond the seventh count when every note sits in the key.
Scales that contain it
E Minor ninth fits inside these scales, each built on E.
- E MinorE · F# · G · A · B · C · D
- E DorianE · F# · G · A · B · C# · D
- E Dorian #4E · F# · G · A# · B · C# · D
- E Bebop MinorE · F# · G · G# · A · B · C# · D
- E Minor BebopE · F# · G · A · B · C · D · D#
- E Composite BluesE · F# · G · G# · A · Bb · B · C# · D
- E Messiaen's Mode #3E · F# · G · G# · A# · B · C · D · D#
Understanding the E Minor ninth chord
Names and symbols
Em9 is the chord symbol for E Minor ninth; it is also written E-9.
add9, 9 and maj9 are three different chords. add9 adds a ninth to a plain triad with no seventh; 9 is a dominant seventh with a ninth; maj9 is a major seventh with a ninth.
How it is built
On E it is E · G · B · D · F#, stacking 1P · 3m · 5P · 7m · 9M. A minor seventh chord with one more third stacked above.
How it is used
As the ii of a ii–V–I it is the standard upgrade from m7. As a standing chord over a groove it is what a great deal of R&B, neo-soul and lo-fi is built on: rich, stable, and content to loop.
Learn this properly
Chapter 10: Chords: Triads and SeventhsCommon questions
- What notes are in Em9?
- Em9 contains E · G · B · D · F#. Name any set of notes with the chord identifier.
- How is m9 different from m7?
- It adds the major ninth. The chord keeps its minor quality and gains width.
- Why does m9 sound so smooth?
- It contains no tritone and no semitone clashes between adjacent voices, so all five notes sit together without friction.
- What notes are in the E Minor ninth chord?
- The E Minor ninth chord contains the notes E · G · B · D · F#: the root E with the intervals 1P, 3m, 5P, 7m, 9M stacked above it. Play them together for the chord or one after another for an arpeggio. The lowest note is normally E, but any chord tone can take the bass in an inversion.
- What intervals make up the E Minor ninth chord?
- Measured from E, the E Minor ninth chord stacks the intervals 1P, 3m, 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.