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E♭ minor 9th chord on guitar (E♭m9)
Also called or written E♭m9 or E♭
E♭ minor 9th contains E♭, G♭, B♭, D♭, and F. The 11th-fret barre sits high on the neck, where fret spacing is tight.
How it is built
Formula 1, ♭3, 5, ♭7, 9
- Root positionE♭–G♭–B♭–D♭–FE♭m911-13-11-11-11-13
- First inversionG♭–B♭–D♭–F–E♭E♭m9/G♭2-1-1-3-2-1
- Second inversionB♭–D♭–F–E♭–G♭E♭m9/B♭no shape on this instrument
- Third inversionD♭–F–E♭–G♭–B♭E♭m9/D♭9-9-×-10-11-11
- Fourth inversionF–E♭–G♭–B♭–D♭E♭m9/F1-1-1-3-2-2
How do you play an E♭ minor 9th chord on guitar?
E♭ minor 9th is played at the 11th fret as 11 13 11 11 11 13: barre your index finger across fret 11, ring finger on the A string at fret 13 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) | 11 | 1 (barre) | G♭ (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | 11 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (5) |
| 1 (e) | 13 | 4 | F (2) |
AdvancedThe index barre must fret the 6th, 4th, 3rd, and 2nd strings cleanly while the pinky stretches to the 13th fret on the 1st string.
E♭m9/G♭ inversion · fret 1
E♭ minor 9th is played at the 1st fret as 2 1 1 3 2 1: barre your index finger across fret 1, middle finger on the low E string at fret 2, pinky finger on the G string at fret 3 and ring finger on the B string at fret 2.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 2 | 2 | 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 | 3 | D♭ (♭7) |
| 1 (e) | 1 | 1 (barre) | F (2) |
E♭m9/G♭ inversion · fret 13
E♭ minor 9th is played at the 13th fret as 14 13 13 15 14 13: barre your index finger across fret 13, middle finger on the low E string at fret 14, pinky finger on the G string at fret 15 and ring finger on the B string at fret 14.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 14 | 2 | G♭ (♭3) |
| 5 (A) | 13 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (5) |
| 4 (D) | 13 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (1) |
| 3 (G) | 15 | 4 | B♭ (5) |
| 2 (B) | 14 | 3 | D♭ (♭7) |
| 1 (e) | 13 | 1 (barre) | F (2) |
E♭m9/D♭ inversion
E♭ minor 9th is played at the 9th fret as 9 9 × 10 11 11: barre your index finger across fret 9, 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 D string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 9 | 1 (barre) | D♭ (♭7) |
| 5 (A) | 9 | 1 (barre) | G♭ (♭3) |
| 4 (D) | muted | — | — |
| 3 (G) | 10 | 2 | F (2) |
| 2 (B) | 11 | 3 | B♭ (5) |
| 1 (e) | 11 | 4 | E♭ (1) |
E♭m9/F inversion
E♭ minor 9th is played at the 1st fret as 1 1 1 3 2 2: barre your index finger across fret 1, pinky finger on the G string at fret 3, middle finger on the B string at fret 2 and ring finger on the high e string at fret 2.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 1 | 1 (barre) | F (2) |
| 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) | 2 | 3 | G♭ (♭3) |
Why it sounds like that
E♭ minor 9th is built from 1, ♭3, 5, ♭7, and 9. The minor 7th gives the chord its mellow tension, while the 9th adds a bright color. Compare with E♭ minor 7th, which lacks the 9th.
What goes wrong with E♭ minor 9th?
- The index barre buzzes on the 4th, 3rd, or 2nd string because it is not pressing evenly.
- The pinky mutes the 1st string instead of fretting it cleanly at the 13th fret.
- The ring finger flattens onto the 4th string, causing a muted D note.
When to use it
E♭ minor 9th works in the vi–IV–I–V progression in F♯ major, where it is the vi chord. Use it in jazz ballads and neo-soul for its lush, extended minor color.
Changing to and from E♭ minor 9th
- From E♭ minor 9th to D minor 9th, slide the entire shape down one fret to the 10th fret.
- From E♭ minor 9th to C♯ minor 9th, slide the entire shape down two frets to the 9th fret.
Which voicing to use
The 11th-fret voicing puts E♭ in the bass for a root-position sound. For a lighter feel, try the E♭m9/G♭ inversion at the 1st fret, where G♭ in the bass softens the chord's weight.
Other E♭ chords
Common questions
How is E♭ minor 9th written?
E♭ minor 9th is written as E♭m9. The ASCII root is Eb, so you may see Ebm9. It is also spelled D♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
What is the difference between E♭ minor 9th and E♭ minor 7th?
E♭ minor 9th adds an F note to E♭ minor 7th. The F is the 9th, which creates a more colorful and dissonant sound than the plain minor 7th.
Can E♭ minor 9th be played without a barre?
The 11th-fret voicing requires a full barre. However, the E♭m9/G♭ inversion at the 1st fret uses a partial barre and omits no strings, making it easier for some players.