Tools / Chords / E major 9th

E major 9th chord on guitar (Emaj9)

Also written Emaj9 or E

E major 9th contains E, G♯, B, D♯, and F♯. The open voicing uses a mix of fretted and open strings, requiring careful finger placement.

Open0-2-1-1-0-2

Positions on the neck1 of 5

How it’s built

E1Root

G♯3Major 3rd

B5Perfect 5th

D♯7Major 7th

F♯99th

Formula 1, 3, 5, 7, 9

Positions on the neck1 of 5

Inversions

The same three notes, with a different one in the bass.

Root positionE–G♯–B–D♯–F♯Emaj9Bass E

First inversionG♯–B–D♯–F♯–EEmaj9/G♯Bass G♯

Second inversionB–D♯–F♯–E–G♯Emaj9/BBass B

Third inversionD♯–F♯–E–G♯–BEmaj9/D♯Bass D♯

Fourth inversionF♯–E–G♯–B–D♯Emaj9/F♯Bass F♯

Why it sounds like that

E major 9th is built from the 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9 of the E major scale. The major 7th D♯ and the 9th F♯ give it a bright, ringing quality. Compare it to E major 7th, which omits the 9th.

What goes wrong with E major 9th?

Letting the index finger touch the 2nd string, deadening the 5th.
Flattening the pinky onto the 2nd string, muffling the open B.
Strumming too hard, causing the low E to overpower the chord.

When to use it

E major 9th serves as the I chord in E major, fitting progressions like E–A–B–E (I–IV–V–I). Its bright, open sound suits rock, pop, and country. It also works over E major and E major 7th.

Changing to and from E major 9th

Move to <a href="/guitar/a-major-chord">A major</a> by shifting the ring finger to the 4th string, 2nd fret, and adding the middle finger on the 3rd string, 2nd fret.

Which voicing to use

The open voicing keeps E in the bass for a warm, root-position sound. The Emaj9/G♯ inversions put the third in the bass, creating a brighter, less settled feel. The 11th-fret barre voicing offers a higher register with the same root in the bass.

How do you play an E major 9th chord on guitar?

Open

Beginner● On the diagram

E major 9th is played in open position as 0 2 1 1 0 2: ring finger on the A string at fret 2, index finger on the D string at fret 1, middle finger on the G string at fret 1 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 2. The low E and B strings ring open.

Tip — Fretting the 4th and 3rd strings with separate fingers while keeping the 2nd string open requires precise finger independence.

String-by-string breakdown

String	Fret	Finger	Note
6 (E)	open	—	E (1)
5 (A)	2	3	B (5)
4 (D)	1	1	D♯ (7)
3 (G)	1	2	G♯ (3)
2 (B)	open	—	B (5)
1 (e)	2	4	F♯ (9)

11th fret

Barre

E major 9th is played at the 11th fret as 12 11 13 11 12 11: barre your index finger across fret 11, middle finger on the low E string at fret 12, pinky finger on the D string at fret 13 and ring finger on the B string at fret 12.

String-by-string breakdown

String	Fret	Finger	Note
6 (E)	12	2	E (1)
5 (A)	11	1 (barre)	G♯ (3)
4 (D)	13	4	D♯ (7)
3 (G)	11	1 (barre)	F♯ (9)
2 (B)	12	3	B (5)
1 (e)	11	1 (barre)	D♯ (7)

Emaj9/G♯ inversion · fret 2

Barre

E major 9th is played at the 2nd fret as 4 2 2 4 4 2: barre your index finger across fret 2, middle finger on the low E string at fret 4, ring finger on the G string at fret 4 and pinky finger on the B string at fret 4.

String-by-string breakdown

String	Fret	Finger	Note
6 (E)	4	2	G♯ (3)
5 (A)	2	1 (barre)	B (5)
4 (D)	2	1 (barre)	E (1)
3 (G)	4	3	B (5)
2 (B)	4	4	D♯ (7)
1 (e)	2	1 (barre)	F♯ (9)

Emaj9/G♯ inversion · fret 4

Barre

E major 9th is played at the 4th fret as 4 6 4 4 5 4: barre your index finger across fret 4, pinky finger on the A string at fret 6 and ring finger on the B string at fret 5.

String-by-string breakdown

String	Fret	Finger	Note
6 (E)	4	1 (barre)	G♯ (3)
5 (A)	6	4	D♯ (7)
4 (D)	4	1 (barre)	F♯ (9)
3 (G)	4	1 (barre)	B (5)
2 (B)	5	3	E (1)
1 (e)	4	1 (barre)	G♯ (3)

Emaj9/G♯ inversion · fret 11

Barre

E major 9th is played at the 11th fret as × 11 13 11 12 12: barre your index finger across fret 11, pinky finger on the D string at fret 13, middle finger on the B string at fret 12 and ring finger on the high e string at fret 12. The low E string stays muted.

String-by-string breakdown

String	Fret	Finger	Note
6 (E)	muted	—	—
5 (A)	11	1 (barre)	G♯ (3)
4 (D)	13	4	D♯ (7)
3 (G)	11	1 (barre)	F♯ (9)
2 (B)	12	2	B (5)
1 (e)	12	3	E (1)

Common questions

How is E major 9th written?

E major 9th is written E or Emaj9. No enharmonic spelling is used.

What is the difference between E major 9th and E add 9?

E major 9th includes the major 7th D♯ along with the 9th F♯. E add 9 omits the 7th, giving a less dense sound.

Why does the open shape use both fretted and open strings?

The open strings provide the 5th B and the root E, while the fretted notes add the 3rd, 7th, and 9th. This creates a full, ringing voicing.

String

Fret

Finger

Note

6 (E)

open

—

E (1)

5 (A)

B (5)

4 (D)

D♯ (7)

3 (G)

G♯ (3)

2 (B)

open

—

B (5)

1 (e)

F♯ (9)

String

Fret

Finger

Note

6 (E)

E (1)

5 (A)

1 (barre)

G♯ (3)

4 (D)

D♯ (7)

3 (G)

1 (barre)

F♯ (9)

2 (B)

B (5)

1 (e)

1 (barre)

D♯ (7)

String

Fret

Finger

Note

6 (E)

G♯ (3)

5 (A)

1 (barre)

B (5)

4 (D)

1 (barre)

E (1)

3 (G)

B (5)

2 (B)

D♯ (7)

1 (e)

1 (barre)

F♯ (9)

String

Fret

Finger

Note

6 (E)

1 (barre)

G♯ (3)

5 (A)

D♯ (7)

4 (D)

1 (barre)

F♯ (9)

3 (G)

1 (barre)

B (5)

2 (B)

E (1)

1 (e)

1 (barre)

G♯ (3)

String

Fret

Finger

Note

6 (E)

muted

—

5 (A)

1 (barre)

G♯ (3)

4 (D)

D♯ (7)

3 (G)

1 (barre)

F♯ (9)

2 (B)

B (5)

1 (e)

E (1)