E9 Chord
7th Fret · A-String RootThe shape most guitarists mean by a 9th chord. Middle finger on the A string at fret 7 for the root, index on the D string at fret 6 for G# (the major 3rd), and the ring finger flattened across the G, B and high e strings at fret 7 — that gives D, F# and B in one bar. Mute the low E.
E9 Chord
Open PositionThe open E9 — the one dominant 9th on the neck that needs no barre at all, and the sound of a thousand funk records. Three strings ring open and do most of the work: the low E is the root, the D string is D, and the B string is B. Index on the G string at fret 1 for G#, middle on the A string at fret 2 for B an octave lower, and ring on the high e at fret 2 for F#.
E9 Chord
2nd Fret · D-String RootFour strings and no 5th — the voicing for when a bass player already has the low end, or the chord has to stay out of the way. Middle on the D string at fret 2 for the root, index on the G string at fret 1 for G#, pinky on the B string at fret 3 for D, and ring on the high e at fret 2 for F#. B is left out on purpose: it is the note a 9th chord misses least. Mute the low E and A strings.
Drop the 5th, not the 9th
Five notes, four fingers. B is the one to leave out: the root already implies it, while the 9th is the entire reason you picked this chord. The four-string shape on this page does exactly that.
The open shape is the exception
E9 is the one 9th chord that comes for free at the nut. Every other root needs a barre or a moveable grip — which is exactly what the other two shapes on this page are.
It is a 7th chord with a view
E9 does the same job as E7 and lands in the same place. Swap one for the other in a blues and nothing breaks — the sound just opens up.
Keep the low E quiet
The A-string shape roots the chord on the A string, so the low E has to stay silent. Let the tip of your middle finger lean back against it as you fret the root.
Sit on it
A dominant 9th is stable enough to vamp on. Funk rhythm guitar often stays on one 9th chord for eight bars, working the strum and the right-hand mute for groove instead of changing chord.
About the E9 Chord on Guitar
The E9 chord is built from five notes: E (the root), G# (the major 3rd), B (the perfect 5th), D (the minor 7th) and F# (the 9th) — formula 1 – 3 – 5 – ♭7 – 9. It is an E7 with the 9th stacked on top, and the 9th is just F# raised an octave, so nothing is taken away: the chord keeps the bluesy pull of a dominant 7th and gains a wider, richer top. Five notes will not always fit under four fingers on six strings, which is why guitarists routinely drop the perfect 5th — the root already implies it — and why the four-string voicing here has no B in it and still sounds unmistakably like E9. Functionally the chord behaves exactly like E7: it is the V chord in the key of A and resolves there, though blues, funk and R&B frequently park on a 9th for bars at a time without resolving at all. Do not confuse it with Eadd9, which adds the same 9th to a plain major triad but has no 7th, or with Emaj9, which uses the natural 7th rather than the flat one. This page covers three voicings: the A-string root grip at fret 7, the open E-string form, and a compact four-string voicing rooted on the D string at fret 2. Every diagram is interactive and playable with acoustic guitar sound.
- 013 E9 chord shapes from beginner to advanced
- 02Interactive diagrams — click Play to hear each chord
- 03Acoustic guitar sound via audio engine
- 04Built from 5 notes: E, G#, B, D and F# (formula 1 – 3 – 5 – ♭7 – 9)
- 05A-string root, E-string barre, and compact four-string voicings
- 06Difficulty rating on every shape
- 07Free — no sign-up or download needed
ANATOMY
Chord Tones
The 5 notes that form the E Dominant 9th chord and their role in the major scale.
Every dominant 9th chord follows this same formula — root, major third, perfect fifth, minor seventh, and the major 9th stacked on top. Five notes on six strings, so guitar voicings routinely drop the perfect 5th.