Em9 E minor ninth chord
- Notes
- E G B D F#
- Formula
- 1 b3 5 b7 9
- Semitones
- 0 3 7 10 14 above the root
- Other symbols
- Emin9, E−9
E to G is a minor third (3 semitones), G to B is a major third (4 semitones), B to D is a minor third (3 semitones), D to F# is a major third (4 semitones). A minor seventh (Em7) with a major ninth on top: F#, 14 semitones above E. The fifth, B, is the note players drop first.
Em9 on the piano
Root position from E4: E4, G4, B4, D5, F#5. Middle C is C4.
Em9 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 E as its lowest note.
0 2 0 0 0 2 (low E to high e)
Sounds E2 B2 D3 G3 B3 F#4
x 7 5 7 7 7 (low E to high e)
Sounds E3 G3 D4 F#4 B4
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 Em9
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 | E G B D F# | Em9 | |
| 1st inversion | G B D F# E | Em9/G | |
| 2nd inversion | B D F# E G | Em9/B | |
| 3rd inversion | D F# E G B | Em9/D | |
| 4th inversion | F# E G B D | Em7/F# (also read as Em9/F#) |
Where Em9 fits
Em9 is ii9 in D major, vi9 in G major, i9 in E minor. Its upper four notes G B D F# are Gmaj7, the usual rootless voicing of Em9 over a E bass.