Chords
Eb Add nine
Eb · G · Bb · F
A major triad with an added ninth and no seventh — bright, open, and everywhere in pop.
Also written EbMadd9 · Eb2 · Ebadd2
Eb Add nine
Eb · G · Bb · F
Voicings on the piano
| Voicing | Notes | Play it on your instrument |
|---|---|---|
| Closed, root position | Eb3 · G3 · Bb3 · F4 | |
| Open (drop 2) | Bb2 · Eb3 · G3 · F4 |
Tap a key or a fret to hear it.
Anatomy
Eb Add nine (Ebadd9) contains the notes Eb · G · Bb · F, each with a role measured as an interval from the root.
Read on: how triads are built · extensions
Inversions
An inversion of Eb Add nine 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 Eb Add nine belongs to.
In which keys
Eb Add nine is diatonic to 6 keys; the numeral is its degree and the label its harmonic function.
Scales that contain it
Eb Add nine fits inside these scales, each built on Eb.
- Eb Major PentatonicEb · F · G · Bb · C
- Eb Major BluesEb · F · Gb · G · Bb · C
- Eb MajorEb · F · G · Ab · Bb · C · D
- Eb LydianEb · F · G · A · Bb · C · D
- Eb MixolydianEb · F · G · Ab · Bb · C · Db
- Eb Lydian DominantEb · F · G · A · Bb · C · Db
- Eb Harmonic MajorEb · F · G · Ab · Bb · Cb · D
- Eb Flat Six PentatonicEb · F · G · Bb · Cb
Understanding the Eb Add nine chord
Names and symbols
Ebadd9 is the chord symbol for Eb Add nine; it is also written EbMadd9, Eb2, Ebadd2.
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 Eb it is Eb · G · Bb · F: 1P · 3M · 5P · 9M. A plain major triad with a ninth added above.
How it is used
It is the default "nice" chord of acoustic pop, because standard guitar tuning produces it almost by accident from open shapes. It adds shimmer to a triad without the jazz implication a maj7 carries.
Learn this properly
Chapter 10: Chords: Triads and SeventhsCommon questions
- What notes are in Ebadd9?
- Ebadd9 contains Eb · G · Bb · F. Name any set of notes with the chord identifier.
- What is the difference between add9 and sus2?
- add9 keeps the third and adds the ninth above it. sus2 replaces the third. add9 is still major; sus2 has no quality.
- What is the difference between add9 and maj9?
- maj9 includes the major seventh. add9 leaves it out, which keeps the chord simpler and brighter.
- What notes are in the Eb Add nine chord?
- The Eb Add nine chord contains the notes Eb · G · Bb · F: the root Eb with the intervals 1P, 3M, 5P, 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 Eb Add nine chord?
- Measured from Eb, the Eb Add nine chord stacks the intervals 1P, 3M, 5P, 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.