Ebm9 Eb minor ninth chord
- Notes
- Eb Gb Bb Db F
- Formula
- 1 b3 5 b7 9
- Semitones
- 0 3 7 10 14 above the root
- Also written
- D#m9 (D# F# A# C# E#)
- Other symbols
- Ebmin9, Eb−9
Eb to Gb is a minor third (3 semitones), Gb to Bb is a major third (4 semitones), Bb to Db is a minor third (3 semitones), Db to F is a major third (4 semitones). A minor seventh (Ebm7) with a major ninth on top: F, 14 semitones above Eb. The fifth, Bb, is the note players drop first.
Ebm9 on the piano
Root position from Eb4: Eb4, Gb4, Bb4, Db5, F5. Middle C is C4.
Ebm9 on the guitar
Standard tuning (E A D G B E). Strings run low E on the left to high e on the right, frets downwards; × is a muted string, ○ an open string, and each dot shows the note it sounds, with the root in blue-green. Every shape below has Eb as its lowest note.
x 6 4 6 6 6 (low E to high e)
Sounds Eb3 Gb3 Db4 F4 Bb4
11 13 11 11 11 13 (low E to high e)
Sounds Eb3 Bb3 Db4 Gb4 Bb4 F5
The E-shape and A-shape grips are movable: an E-shape chord's root is the note under your first finger on the low E string, an A-shape chord's root is the note on the A string. Slide the same grip up or down to play minor ninth chords on other roots.
Inversions of Ebm9
An inversion puts a note other than the root in the bass. The name is what semicord's chord finder calls those notes played bottom to top; a slash name like C/E means a C chord with E in the bass.
| Position | Notes, bass first | Named | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Root position | Eb Gb Bb Db F | Ebm9 | |
| 1st inversion | Gb Bb Db F Eb | Ebm9/Gb | |
| 2nd inversion | Bb Db F Eb Gb | Ebm9/Bb | |
| 3rd inversion | Db F Eb Gb Bb | Ebm9/Db | |
| 4th inversion | F Eb Gb Bb Db | Ebm7/F (also read as Ebm9/F) |
Where Ebm9 fits
Ebm9 is ii9 in Db major, vi9 in Gb major, i9 in Eb minor. Its upper four notes Gb Bb Db F are Gbmaj7, the usual rootless voicing of Ebm9 over a Eb bass.