D# or E♭ Add9
6th FretA-shape moveable add9 rooted on E♭ at fret 6 — barre fret 6 with the index, then reach D fret 8, G fret 10, and B fret 8. Mute the low E. Fully moveable to any root.
D# or E♭ Add9
11th Fret (E-shape)E-shape moveable add9 with the root on the low E string at fret 11 — index barres fret 11, ring covers A and D at fret 13, middle on G fret 12, pinky on high e fret 13. A full six-string voicing.
D# or E♭ Add9
11th FretCompact voicing on the top four strings — root (E♭) on D fret 13, 3rd (G) on G fret 12, 5th (B♭) on B fret 11, 9th (F) on high e fret 13. A bright, moveable add9 shape high on the neck.
Think E♭, not D#
This chord is almost always written E♭add9. The shapes and sound are identical to D#add9 — only the spelling changes.
Use the moveable A-shape
The x-6-8-10-8-6 barre at fret 6 is the most reliable E♭add9. Slide it down to fret 5 for Dadd9 or up to fret 8 for Fadd9.
No open strings
E♭add9 has no open-string voicing in standard tuning, so every shape is fretted and moveable.
Mute the low E on the A-shape
The A-shape skips the low E. Rest the side of your index finger against it so it stays silent when you strum.
A bright flat-key colour
In flat keys, swap a plain E♭ major for E♭add9 to add an open, modern shimmer — common in soul and worship.
About the E♭add9 Chord on Guitar
The E♭add9 chord (also written D#add9) is built from four notes: E♭ (the root), G (the major 3rd), B♭ (the perfect 5th), and F (the 9th). It is the E♭ major triad with an added 9th and no 7th — bright and open, with a shimmering colour over a firmly major base. Because none of its notes match open guitar strings, every voicing is fretted and moveable, making this a useful chord for barre-shape practice. It is enharmonically identical to D#add9 — same pitch, same shapes, but almost always spelled E♭add9 in flat keys. This page covers three voicings: a moveable A-shape barre, a full E-shape barre, and a top-four-string form. Every diagram is interactive and playable with acoustic guitar sound.
- 013 D#add9 or E♭add9 chord shapes from intermediate to advanced
- 02Interactive diagrams — click Play to hear each chord
- 03Acoustic guitar sound via audio engine
- 04A-shape barre, E-shape barre, and a top-four-string voicing
- 05Difficulty rating on every shape
- 06Free — no sign-up or download needed
ANATOMY
Chord Tones
The 4 notes that form the D# or E♭ Add9 chord and their role in the major scale.
Every add9 chord follows this same formula — root, major third, perfect fifth, and the major 9th added on top (no 7th).