Chords
Eb Minor/major ninth
Eb · Gb · Bb · D · F
Eb Minor/major ninth (EbmMaj9) is a minor chord of 5 notes: Eb · Gb · Bb · D · F.
Also written EbmM9 · Eb-^9
Eb Minor/major ninth
Eb · Gb · Bb · D · F
Voicings on the piano
| Voicing | Notes | Play it on your instrument |
|---|---|---|
| Closed, root position | Eb3 · Gb3 · Bb3 · D4 · F4 | |
| Open (drop 2) | D3 · Eb3 · Gb3 · Bb3 · F4 | |
| Shell | Eb3 · Gb3 · D4 | |
| Rootless | Gb3 · D4 · F4 |
Tap a key or a fret to hear it.
Anatomy
Eb Minor/major ninth (EbmMaj9) contains the notes Eb · Gb · Bb · 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 Eb Minor/major 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 Eb Minor/major ninth belongs to.
In which keys
Eb Minor/major ninth is diatonic to 1 key; the numeral is its degree and the label its harmonic function.
- D# minoriMaj9Tonic
Extensions beyond the seventh count when every note sits in the key.
Scales that contain it
Eb Minor/major ninth fits inside these scales, each built on Eb.
- Eb Melodic MinorEb · F · Gb · Ab · Bb · C · D
- Eb Harmonic MinorEb · F · Gb · Ab · Bb · Cb · D
- Eb Minor HexatonicEb · F · Gb · Ab · Bb · D
- Eb Lydian DiminishedEb · F · Gb · A · Bb · C · D
- Eb Hungarian MinorEb · F · Gb · A · Bb · Cb · D
- Eb Minor BebopEb · F · Gb · Ab · Bb · Cb · Db · D
- Eb Minor Six DiminishedEb · F · Gb · Ab · Bb · Cb · C · D
- Eb Messiaen's Mode #3Eb · F · Gb · G · A · Bb · Cb · Db · D
Understanding the Eb Minor/major ninth chord
Names and symbols
EbmMaj9 is the chord symbol for Eb Minor/major ninth; it is also written EbmM9, Eb-^9.
mMaj7, m/maj7, mΔ7, −Δ7 and mM7 all mean the minor-major seventh: a minor triad with a major seventh. Every spelling tries to say both qualities at once.
Common questions
- What notes are in the Eb Minor/major ninth chord?
- The Eb Minor/major ninth chord contains the notes Eb · Gb · Bb · D · F: the root Eb 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 Eb, but any chord tone can take the bass in an inversion.
- What intervals make up the Eb Minor/major ninth chord?
- Measured from Eb, the Eb Minor/major 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.
- How do I play the Eb Minor/major ninth chord?
- On guitar the most common Eb Minor/major ninth shape is 111332, read from the lowest string to the highest; the instrument panel above shows several more with their fingerings. On piano play Eb3 · Gb3 · Bb3 · D4 · 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.