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E♭ add 9 chord on guitar (E♭add9)
Also called or written E♭add9, E♭ or E♭ Add 9th
E♭ add 9 is built from E♭, G, B♭ and F. The default grip at the 11th fret is an advanced stretch with the 9th on the high E string.
How it is built
Formula 1, 3, 5, 9
- Root positionE♭–G–B♭–FE♭add9×-×-13-12-11-13
- First inversionG–B♭–F–E♭E♭add9/G3-1-1-0-×-1
- Second inversionB♭–F–E♭–GE♭add9/B♭×-1-1-0-×-1
- Third inversionF–E♭–G–B♭E♭add9/F1-1-1-0-×-×
How do you play an E♭ add 9 chord on guitar?
E♭ add 9 is played at the 11th fret as × × 13 12 11 13: ring finger on the D string at fret 13, middle finger on the G string at fret 12, index finger on the B string at fret 11 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 13. The low E and A strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | muted | — | — |
| 4 (D) | 13 | 3 | E♭ (1) |
| 3 (G) | 12 | 2 | G (3) |
| 2 (B) | 11 | 1 | B♭ (5) |
| 1 (e) | 13 | 4 | F (2) |
AdvancedThe pinky must stretch to the 13th fret on the high E while the index holds the 11th fret on the B string, a two-fret span.
E♭add9/G inversion · 3-1-1-0-×-1
E♭ add 9 is played in open position as 3 1 1 0 × 1: pinky finger on the low E string at fret 3, index finger on the A string at fret 1, middle finger on the D string at fret 1 and ring finger on the high e string at fret 1. The G string rings open. The B string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 3 | 4 | G (3) |
| 5 (A) | 1 | 1 | B♭ (5) |
| 4 (D) | 1 | 2 | E♭ (1) |
| 3 (G) | open | — | G (3) |
| 2 (B) | muted | — | — |
| 1 (e) | 1 | 3 | F (2) |
E♭add9/G inversion · 3-1-1-3-×-1
E♭ add 9 is played at the 1st fret as 3 1 1 3 × 1: barre your index finger across fret 1, ring finger on the low E string at fret 3 and pinky finger on the G string at fret 3. The B string stays muted.
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) | muted | — | — |
| 1 (e) | 1 | 1 (barre) | F (2) |
E♭add9/G inversion · 3-×-3-3-4-3
E♭ add 9 is played at the 3rd fret as 3 × 3 3 4 3: barre your index finger across fret 3 and pinky finger on the B string at fret 4. The A string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 3 | 1 (barre) | G (3) |
| 5 (A) | muted | — | — |
| 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♭add9/G inversion · ×-10-×-10-11-11
E♭ add 9 is played at the 10th fret as × 10 × 10 11 11: index finger on the A string at fret 10, middle finger on the G string at fret 10, ring finger on the B string at fret 11 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 11. The low E and D strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 10 | 1 | G (3) |
| 4 (D) | muted | — | — |
| 3 (G) | 10 | 2 | F (2) |
| 2 (B) | 11 | 3 | B♭ (5) |
| 1 (e) | 11 | 4 | E♭ (1) |
Why it sounds like that
E♭ add 9 adds a major 2nd (F) to an E♭ major triad. The F gives the chord a bright, open character. Compare it to E♭ major, which has only three notes.
What goes wrong with E♭ add 9?
- Letting the low E or A string ring out, adding notes outside the chord.
- Buzzing the D string because the ring finger is too far from the fret.
- Flattening the pinky so it mutes the high E string.
When to use it
E♭ add 9 is the tonic in E♭ major, fitting progressions like E♭–A♭–B♭–E♭ (I–IV–V–I). It suits jazz ballads and R&B. Use it to replace E♭ major for a more colorful tonic.
Changing to and from E♭ add 9
- Move to E♭ major by lifting the pinky and keeping the other three fingers in place.
- Slide the shape down two frets to the 9th fret to play C♯ add 9.
Which voicing to use
The 11th fret position keeps E♭ in the bass for a root-position sound. The E♭add9/G inversion at the 3rd fret puts the major 3rd in the bass, giving a darker, more compact voicing. The E♭add9/G inversion at the 10th fret is higher and brighter.
Other E♭ chords
Common questions
How is E♭ add 9 written?
E♭ add 9 is written as E♭add9 or E♭. On a keyboard, use Ebadd9 or Eb. It is also spelled D♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
What is the difference between E♭ add 9 and E♭ major 7th?
E♭ add 9 contains the 9th (F) but no 7th, while E♭ major 7th contains the major 7th (D) but no 9th. E♭ add 9 has a more open, suspended quality.
Can I play E♭ add 9 with a barre?
The default 11th fret shape uses no barre, but the E♭add9/G inversion at the 3rd fret uses a barre at the 3rd fret. That voicing is lower and warmer.