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E♭ minor add 9 chord on guitar (E♭madd9)
Also called or written E♭madd9, E♭m add9, E♭ or E♭ minor Add 9th
E♭ minor add 9 is built from E♭, G♭, B♭, and F. The 11th-fret barre shape is identical in fingering to A minor add 9 but six frets higher.
How it is built
Formula 1, ♭3, 5, 9
- Root positionE♭–G♭–B♭–FE♭madd911-13-13-11-11-13
- First inversionG♭–B♭–F–E♭E♭madd9/G♭2-1-1-3-×-1
- Second inversionB♭–F–E♭–G♭E♭madd9/B♭×-13-13-11-11-13
- Third inversionF–E♭–G♭–B♭E♭madd9/F×-×-3-3-4-2
How do you play an E♭ minor add 9 chord on guitar?
E♭ minor add 9 is played at the 11th fret as 11 13 13 11 11 13: barre your index finger across fret 11, middle finger on the A string at fret 13, ring finger on the D 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 | 2 | B♭ (5) |
| 4 (D) | 13 | 3 | E♭ (1) |
| 3 (G) | 11 | 1 (barre) | G♭ (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | 11 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (5) |
| 1 (e) | 13 | 4 | F (2) |
AdvancedThe index barre must hold the 6th, 3rd, 2nd, and 1st strings at the 11th fret while the pinky reaches the 13th fret on the high e.
E♭m add9/G♭ inversion · fret 1
E♭ minor add 9 is played at the 1st fret as 2 1 1 3 × 1: barre your index finger across fret 1, ring finger on the low E string at fret 2 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) | 2 | 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♭m add9/G♭ inversion · fret 2
E♭ minor add 9 is played at the 2nd fret as 2 × 3 3 4 2: barre your index finger across fret 2, middle finger on the D string at fret 3, ring finger on the G string at 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) | 2 | 1 (barre) | G♭ (♭3) |
| 5 (A) | muted | — | — |
| 4 (D) | 3 | 2 | F (2) |
| 3 (G) | 3 | 3 | B♭ (5) |
| 2 (B) | 4 | 4 | E♭ (1) |
| 1 (e) | 2 | 1 (barre) | G♭ (♭3) |
E♭m add9/G♭ inversion · fret 9
E♭ minor add 9 is played at the 9th fret as × 9 × 10 11 11: index finger on the A string at 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 low E and D strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 9 | 1 | G♭ (♭3) |
| 4 (D) | muted | — | — |
| 3 (G) | 10 | 2 | F (2) |
| 2 (B) | 11 | 3 | B♭ (5) |
| 1 (e) | 11 | 4 | E♭ (1) |
E♭m add9/G♭ inversion · fret 13
E♭ minor add 9 is played at the 13th fret as 14 13 13 15 × 13: barre your index finger across fret 13, ring finger on the low E string at fret 14 and pinky finger on the G string at fret 15. The B string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 14 | 3 | G♭ (♭3) |
| 5 (A) | 13 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (5) |
| 4 (D) | 13 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (1) |
| 3 (G) | 15 | 4 | B♭ (5) |
| 2 (B) | muted | — | — |
| 1 (e) | 13 | 1 (barre) | F (2) |
Why it sounds like that
E♭ minor add 9 uses the formula 1, ♭3, 5, 9. The major 2nd between E♭ and F adds the ninth, while the minor 3rd between E♭ and G♭ keeps the minor quality. Compare with E♭ minor, which omits the ninth.
What goes wrong with E♭ minor add 9?
- Letting the index barre lift off the high e string, causing a buzz at the 11th fret.
- Flattening the middle finger onto the 4th string and deadening the D at the 13th fret.
Changing to and from E♭ minor add 9
- Sliding the shape down two frets to the 9th fret gives C♯ minor add 9.
- From E♭ minor, lift the pinky and middle finger to return to the 11th-fret E♭ minor barre.
Which voicing to use
The 11th-fret voicing puts E♭ in the bass for a root-position sound. The E♭m add9/G♭ inversion at the 9th fret places G♭ in the bass, giving a darker, less stable feel.
Other E♭ chords
Common questions
How is E♭ minor add 9 written?
E♭ minor add 9 is written as E♭m add9 or E♭ minor add 9. It is also spelled D♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
What is the difference between E♭ minor add 9 and E♭ minor 9?
E♭ minor add 9 contains only the root, minor third, fifth, and ninth. E♭ minor 9 adds the minor seventh as well, creating a denser, more dissonant sound.
Can I play E♭ minor add 9 without the barre?
Yes, the E♭m add9/G♭ inversion at the 9th fret uses no barre. It omits the low E string and places G♭ in the bass, but it is easier for beginners.