Explore chords · Guitar
E♭ 9th chord on guitar (E♭9)
Also called or written E♭9 or E♭
E♭ 9th is built from E♭, G, B♭, D♭ and F. This advanced barre shape at the 10th fret needs a solid index barre and a muted high e string.
How it is built
Formula 1, 3, 5, ♭7, 9
- Root positionE♭–G–B♭–D♭–FE♭911-10-11-10-11-×
- First inversionG–B♭–D♭–F–E♭E♭9/G3-1-1-3-2-1
- Second inversionB♭–D♭–F–E♭–GE♭9/B♭×-1-1-0-2-1
- Third inversionD♭–F–E♭–G–B♭E♭9/D♭×-4-3-3-4-3
- Fourth inversionF–E♭–G–B♭–D♭E♭9/F1-1-1-0-2-×
How do you play an E♭ 9th chord on guitar?
E♭ 9th is played at the 10th fret as 11 10 11 10 11 ×: barre your index finger across fret 10, middle finger on the low E string at fret 11, ring finger on the D string at fret 11 and pinky finger on the B string at fret 11. The high e string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 11 | 2 | E♭ (1) |
| 5 (A) | 10 | 1 (barre) | G (3) |
| 4 (D) | 11 | 3 | D♭ (♭7) |
| 3 (G) | 10 | 1 (barre) | F (2) |
| 2 (B) | 11 | 4 | B♭ (5) |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
AdvancedThe index barre must fret the A string and the G string cleanly while the pinky reaches fret 11 on the B string.
11th fret
E♭ 9th is played at the 11th fret as 11 13 11 12 11 13: barre your index finger across fret 11, ring finger on the A string at fret 13, middle finger on the G string at fret 12 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 13.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 11 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (1) |
| 5 (A) | 13 | 3 | B♭ (5) |
| 4 (D) | 11 | 1 (barre) | D♭ (♭7) |
| 3 (G) | 12 | 2 | G (3) |
| 2 (B) | 11 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (5) |
| 1 (e) | 13 | 4 | F (2) |
E♭9/G inversion · fret 1
E♭ 9th is played at the 1st fret as 3 1 1 3 2 1: barre your index finger across fret 1, ring finger on the low E string at fret 3, pinky finger on the G string at fret 3 and middle finger on the B string at fret 2.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 3 | 3 | G (3) |
| 5 (A) | 1 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (5) |
| 4 (D) | 1 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (1) |
| 3 (G) | 3 | 4 | B♭ (5) |
| 2 (B) | 2 | 2 | D♭ (♭7) |
| 1 (e) | 1 | 1 (barre) | F (2) |
E♭9/G inversion · fret 3
E♭ 9th is played at the 3rd fret as 3 4 3 3 4 3: barre your index finger across fret 3, ring finger on the A string at fret 4 and pinky finger on the B string at fret 4.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 3 | 1 (barre) | G (3) |
| 5 (A) | 4 | 3 | D♭ (♭7) |
| 4 (D) | 3 | 1 (barre) | F (2) |
| 3 (G) | 3 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (5) |
| 2 (B) | 4 | 4 | E♭ (1) |
| 1 (e) | 3 | 1 (barre) | G (3) |
E♭9/G inversion · fret 10
E♭ 9th is played at the 10th fret as × 10 11 10 11 11: barre your index finger across fret 10, middle finger on the D string at fret 11, ring finger on the B string at fret 11 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 11. The low E string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 10 | 1 (barre) | G (3) |
| 4 (D) | 11 | 2 | D♭ (♭7) |
| 3 (G) | 10 | 1 (barre) | F (2) |
| 2 (B) | 11 | 3 | B♭ (5) |
| 1 (e) | 11 | 4 | E♭ (1) |
Why it sounds like that
E♭ 9th stacks an E♭ major triad (1, 3, 5) with a minor seventh and a major ninth: 1, 3, 5, ♭7, 9. The ♭7 D♭ and 9 F create a dominant sound. Compare it with E♭ 7th, which omits the ninth.
What goes wrong with E♭ 9th?
- Letting the index barre sag so the G string buzzes at fret 10.
- Allowing the high e string to ring open, adding an E that is not in the chord.
- Placing the ring finger on the G string instead of the D string, losing the fifth.
When to use it
E♭ 9th acts as the dominant in A♭ major, used in progressions like A♭–D♭–E♭–A♭ (I–IV–V–I). It suits blues, rock and jazz-funk. Compare it with E♭ major to hear how the seventh and ninth add tension.
Changing to and from E♭ 9th
- Move to C♯ 9th by sliding the shape down two frets to the 8th fret.
- Move to E 9th by sliding the shape up one fret to the 11th fret.
Which voicing to use
The 10th fret and 11th fret voicings both have E♭ in the bass, but the 11th fret version adds the ninth on top. The E♭9/G inversion places the third in the bass for smoother voice-leading.
Other E♭ chords
Common questions
How is E♭ 9th written?
E♭ 9th is written as E♭9 or Eb9. The symbol E♭9 always means a dominant ninth chord with a minor seventh and a major ninth. It is also spelled D♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
What is the difference between E♭ 9th and E♭ add 9?
E♭ 9th includes the minor seventh D♭, while E♭ add 9 is an E♭ major triad with the ninth F added and no seventh. The add 9 sounds more open and less tense.
Why does the E♭9/G inversion have a different bass note?
The E♭9/G inversion places the third, G, in the bass instead of the root E♭. This creates a smoother stepwise bass line when moving between chords in A♭ major.