CifraLab

E9 Guitar Chord

E9 guitar chord: see the fingering, compare positions, and hear it before you play.

Back to Chord Dictionary
Shape 1/2
Chord shapes:(2 positions)
E9Guitar fingering diagram for E91234213STRING6ªE5ªB4ªD3ªG#2ªB1ªF#
View HD sheet

What sets E9 apart

Play E9 one string at a time and you hear E, G#, B, D and F#. E is the root, G# the major third, B the fifth, D the minor seventh and F# the ninth. Said aloud, its notes are E, G sharp, B, D and F sharp.

String by string, low to high, it plays E, B, D, G#, B and F#. B appears twice in the main shape, and it is the chord's fifth. It runs from E on string 6 up to F# on string 1.

The open strings add notes to E9 too. String 6 gives E, string 4 gives D and string 2 gives B. Your hand covers two frets, from 1 to 2. There is one more position, starting at fret 7.

Change only string 1 in E9 and you have E7. Inside E9 sits a complete Bm chord, made of B, D and F#. Moving to E, you keep two fingers down.

E9 belongs to only one key, A major, where it is the V9.

Chord Progressions

Explore recommended harmonic circles on CifraLab:

01E E - C#m - F#m - B702G#m G#m - E - C#m - D#7
Music Theory & Formula

Component notes and harmonic structure (E9)

Formula: Dominant Ninth (1 - 3 - 5 - ♭7 - 9)
Constituent chord intervals:

E 1G# 3B 5D ♭7F# 9

Root Bass (Fundamental String)6th String (Low E) • Fret 0 (E)

String Control (Muted & Active)6 / 6 • Active and muted strings status indicator

2 Fretboard Positions

Other fretboard positions for E9:

01

Standard

Standard Position
6 / 6 stringsRoot: 6th String (Low E)
String Control (Muted & Active):
Root
6th String (Low E)
○Open
EDegree 1
5th String (A)
Fret 2Finger 2
BDegree 5
4th String (D)
○Open
DDegree ♭7
3rd String (G)
Fret 1Finger 1
G#Degree 3
2nd String (B)
○Open
BDegree 5
1st String (High E)
Fret 2Finger 3
F#Degree 9

Placement tip: Press: 5th String (A) at fret 2 with your Middle finger, 3rd String (G) at fret 1 with your Index finger, 1st String (High E) at fret 2 with your Ring finger. Play open: 6th String (Low E), 4th String (D), 2nd String (B).

02

Blues

Barre fret 7
5 / 6 stringsRoot: 5th String (A)
String Control (Muted & Active):
6th String (Low E)
×Muted
Do not play
Root
5th String (A)
Fret 7Barre
EDegree 1
4th String (D)
Fret 6
G#Degree 3
3rd String (G)
Fret 7Barre
DDegree ♭7
2nd String (B)
Fret 7Barre
F#Degree 9
1st String (High E)
Fret 7Barre
BDegree 5

Placement tip: Barre fret 7. Press: 4th String (D) at fret 6. Don't play: 6th String (Low E).

Biomechanics & Posture

Ergonomic tips to play without tension or fatigue (E9)

Standard Position

The shape in numbers

ItemIn this chord
Frets1 to 2
Fretting fingers3
Open6th, 4th, and 2nd
Mutednone

What to check

The open 6th, 4th, and 2nd strings sit next to a fretting finger.

What every chord shares is in the fingering reading.

Transitions & Pivot Fingers

Most common chord transitions from E9

Listen: E9 → E · B · B7

  1. E9
  2. E
  3. E9
  4. B
  5. E9
  6. B7
E9 → E01
Pivot / Anchor Finger:2 fingers stay
Stay in place
  • finger 2: string 5, fret 2
  • finger 1: string 3, fret 1
Move
  • finger 3: string 4, fret 2
E9 → B02
Pivot / Anchor Finger:2 shared positions
Stay in place
  • string 5, fret 2
  • string 1, fret 2
Move
  • string 4, fret 4
  • string 3, fret 4
  • string 2, fret 4
E9 → B703
Pivot / Anchor Finger:1 finger stays
Stay in place
  • finger 2: string 5, fret 2
Move
  • finger 1: string 4, fret 1
  • finger 3: string 3, fret 2
  • finger 4: string 1, fret 2

E9 in every key

E9 sits in the scale of 1 keys.

Main shape at a glance

Difficulty
1/5
Highest fret
2
Frets the hand covers
2
Barre
No
Strings that ring
6/6
Fretting fingers
3

Major keys

E9 on other instruments

PianoThe same notes on the keyboard.All togetherHear guitar, piano, bass and violin together.
Frequently asked questions

Frequently asked questions about the chord (E9)

The questions that come up most when playing this chord

Which strings are played and which are muted in the E9 chord?

To play the E9 chord on guitar, all 6 strings are played from the 6th string (Low E) to the 1st string (High E). Arch your finger joints perpendicular to the fretboard so adjacent strings ring clearly.

What is the root bass note of the E9 chord and on which string is it located?

The primary bass note of the E9 chord is its root note: E. In standard guitar tuning (EADGBe), this bass note is located on string 6 at fret 0.

When strumming or fingerpicking, strike this string first.

What notes make up the E9 chord and what is its formula?

The E9 chord is constructed using the 1 - 3 - 5 - ♭7 - 9 formula (Dominant Ninth). Its constituent pitches are E, G#, B, D, F#.

How do you prevent the E9 chord from buzzing or sounding muted?

To prevent the E9 chord from buzzing or sounding muted, press the strings using the tips of your fingers at a strict 90-degree hammer angle. Position each finger immediately behind the fret wire with your thumb centered behind the neck.

Study sheet · High resolution

Official E9 chord diagram

E9 guitar chord diagram with fingering for fingers 1 to 4
Download HD sheet

Thanks for studying with CifraLab

If this chord helped you, support us with a coffee on Ko-fi.

Buy a coffee

Other chords in the E family:

Chord E Chord Eb Chord Em Chord Ebm Chord E7 Chord Eb7 Chord Emaj7 Chord Ebmaj7