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E♭ minor major 9th chord on guitar (E♭mMaj9)
Also called or written E♭mMaj9, E♭minmaj9, E♭mM9, E♭min(maj9) or E♭m(maj9)
E♭ minor major 9th contains E♭, G♭, B♭, D and F. The 11th-fret voicing is a full barre with a pinky stretch to fret 13 on the high E.
How it is built
Formula 1, ♭3, 5, 7, 9
- Root positionE♭–G♭–B♭–D–FE♭mMaj911-13-12-11-11-13
- First inversionG♭–B♭–D–F–E♭E♭mMaj9/G♭2-1-1-3-3-1
- Second inversionB♭–D–F–E♭–G♭E♭mMaj9/B♭no shape on this instrument
- Third inversionD–F–E♭–G♭–B♭E♭mMaj9/Dno shape on this instrument
- Fourth inversionF–E♭–G♭–B♭–DE♭mMaj9/F1-1-1-3-3-2
How do you play an E♭ minor major 9th chord on guitar?
E♭ minor major 9th is played at the 11th fret as 11 13 12 11 11 13: barre your index finger across fret 11, ring finger on the A string at fret 13, middle finger on the D 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) | 12 | 2 | 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 hold the low E, G, B and high E at fret 11 while the pinky reaches fret 13 on the high E.
E♭minmaj9/G♭ inversion · fret 1
E♭ minor major 9th is played at the 1st fret as 2 1 1 3 3 1: barre your index finger across fret 1, middle finger on the low E string at fret 2, ring finger on the G string at fret 3 and pinky finger on the B string at fret 3.
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 | 3 | B♭ (5) |
| 2 (B) | 3 | 4 | D (7) |
| 1 (e) | 1 | 1 (barre) | F (2) |
E♭minmaj9/G♭ inversion · fret 13
E♭ minor major 9th is played at the 13th fret as 14 13 13 15 15 13: barre your index finger across fret 13, middle finger on the low E string at fret 14, ring finger on the G string at fret 15 and pinky finger on the B string at fret 15.
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 | 3 | B♭ (5) |
| 2 (B) | 15 | 4 | D (7) |
| 1 (e) | 13 | 1 (barre) | F (2) |
E♭minmaj9/F inversion · fret 1
E♭ minor major 9th is played at the 1st fret as 1 1 1 3 3 2: barre your index finger across fret 1, ring finger on the G string at fret 3, pinky finger on the B string at fret 3 and middle 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 | 3 | B♭ (5) |
| 2 (B) | 3 | 4 | D (7) |
| 1 (e) | 2 | 2 | G♭ (♭3) |
E♭minmaj9/F inversion · fret 11
E♭ minor major 9th is played at the 11th fret as 13 13 12 11 11 11: barre your index finger across fret 11, ring finger on the low E string at fret 13, pinky finger on the A string at fret 13 and middle finger on the D string at fret 12.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 13 | 3 | F (2) |
| 5 (A) | 13 | 4 | B♭ (5) |
| 4 (D) | 12 | 2 | D (7) |
| 3 (G) | 11 | 1 (barre) | G♭ (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | 11 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (5) |
| 1 (e) | 11 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (1) |
Why it sounds like that
E♭ minor major 9th is built from the formula 1, ♭3, 5, 7, 9. The major 7th D against the minor 3rd G♭ creates the chord's characteristic tension. Compare it to E♭ minor major 7th, which omits the 9th F.
What goes wrong with E♭ minor major 9th?
- Let the high E string buzz under the pinky at fret 13.
- Allow the middle finger to touch the G string, deadening the barre note at fret 11.
- Lift the index barre off the low E string, losing the root E♭.
When to use it
Use E♭ minor major 9th in place of E♭ minor for a more complex color. It suits jazz ballads and neo-soul progressions.
Changing to and from E♭ minor major 9th
- Sliding the shape down one fret to the 10th fret gives D minor major 9th.
- Move to E♭ minor major 7th by lifting the pinky off the high E string and letting the B string ring at fret 11.
Which voicing to use
The 11th-fret voicing puts the root E♭ in the bass for a grounded sound. The E♭ minor major 9th/G♭ inversion at the 13th fret places G♭ in the bass, softening the chord's bite. Choose the F inversion when you want the 9th in the bass for a floating, unresolved feel.
Other E♭ chords
Common questions
How is E♭ minor major 9th written?
E♭ minor major 9th is written E♭mM9, min(maj9), m(maj9), or E♭minmaj9. The ASCII root spelling is Eb. It is also spelled D♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
What is the difference between E♭ minor major 9th and E♭ minor add 9?
E♭ minor add 9 contains E♭, G♭, B♭ and F, omitting the major 7th D. E♭ minor major 9th includes both the major 7th and the 9th, creating a denser, more dissonant sound.
Can E♭ minor major 9th be used in a minor key?
E♭ minor major 9th is the tonic chord in E♭ harmonic minor and E♭ melodic minor. The displayed shape preserves only the supplied notes and interval formula.