CifraLab

Eb9 Guitar Chord

Eb9 guitar chord: see the fingering, compare positions, and hear it before you play.

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Shape 1/2
Chord shapes:(2 positions)
Eb9Guitar fingering diagram for Eb9Fret 56781×21STRING6ª×5ªD#4ªG3ªC#2ªF1ªA#
View HD sheet

What sets Eb9 apart

Eb9 is built from Eb, G, Bb, Db and F. Eb is the root, G the major third, Bb the fifth, Db the minor seventh and F the ninth. Said aloud, its notes are E flat, G, B flat, D flat and F.

String by string, low to high, it plays Eb, G, Db, F and Bb. It runs from Eb on string 5 up to Bb on string 1.

You play Eb9 with a barre at fret 6. String 6 stays silent. Your hand covers two frets, from 5 to 6. There is one more position, starting at fret 11.

Change only string 3 in Eb9 and you have Ebadd9. Inside Eb9 sits a complete Bbm chord, made of Bb, Db and F. Eb shares two positions with this shape.

Eb9 belongs to only one key, Ab major, where it is the V9.

Chord Progressions

Explore recommended harmonic circles on CifraLab:

01Eb Eb - Cm - Fm - Bb702Gm Gm - Eb - Cm - D7
Music Theory & Formula

Component notes and harmonic structure (Eb9)

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

Eb 1G 3Bb 5Db ♭7F 9

Root Bass (Fundamental String)5th String (A) • Fret 6 (Eb)

String Control (Muted & Active)5 / 6 • 1 X Muted

2 Fretboard Positions

Other fretboard positions for Eb9:

01

Barre 6

Barre fret 6
5 / 6 stringsRoot: 5th String (A)
String Control (Muted & Active):
6th String (Low E)
×Muted
Do not play
Root
5th String (A)
Fret 6Finger 2
EbDegree 1
4th String (D)
Fret 5Finger 1
GDegree 3
3rd String (G)
Fret 6Barre
DbDegree ♭7
2nd String (B)
Fret 6Barre
FDegree 9
1st String (High E)
Fret 6Barre
BbDegree 5

Placement tip: Barre fret 6. Press: 5th String (A) at fret 6 with your Middle finger, 4th String (D) at fret 5 with your Index finger. Don't play: 6th String (Low E).

02

Barre 11

Barre fret 11
6 / 6 stringsRoot: 6th String (Low E)
String Control (Muted & Active):
Root
6th String (Low E)
Fret 11Barre
EbDegree 1
5th String (A)
Fret 13Finger 3
BbDegree 5
4th String (D)
Fret 11Barre
DbDegree ♭7
3rd String (G)
Fret 12Finger 2
GDegree 3
2nd String (B)
Fret 11Barre
BbDegree 5
1st String (High E)
Fret 13Finger 4
FDegree 9

Placement tip: Barre fret 11. Press: 5th String (A) at fret 13 with your Ring finger, 3rd String (G) at fret 12 with your Middle finger, 1st String (High E) at fret 13 with your Pinky finger.

Biomechanics & Posture

Ergonomic tips to play without tension or fatigue (Eb9)

Barre

The shape in numbers

ItemIn this chord
Frets5 to 6
Barrefret 6, from the 3rd to the 1st string
Fretting fingers3
Opennone
Muted6th

What to check

At fret 6, only the barre sounds the 3rd, 2nd, and 1st strings.

What every chord shares is in the fingering reading.

Transitions & Pivot Fingers

Most common chord transitions from Eb9

Listen: Eb9 → Eb · Cm · Gm

  1. Eb9
  2. Eb
  3. Eb9
  4. Cm
  5. Eb9
  6. Gm
Eb9 → Eb01
Pivot / Anchor Finger:2 shared positions
Stay in place
  • string 5, fret 6
  • string 1, fret 6
Move
  • string 4, fret 8
  • string 3, fret 8
  • string 2, fret 8
Eb9 → Cm02
Pivot / Anchor Finger:1 shared position
Stay in place
  • string 4, fret 5
Move
  • string 5, fret 3
  • string 3, fret 5
  • string 2, fret 4
  • string 1, fret 3
Eb9 → Gm03
Pivot / Anchor Finger:1 shared position
Stay in place
  • string 4, fret 5
Move
  • string 6, fret 3
  • string 5, fret 5
  • string 3, fret 3
  • string 2, fret 3
  • string 1, fret 3

Eb9 in every key

Eb9 sits in the scale of 1 keys.

Main shape at a glance

Difficulty
3/5
Highest fret
6
Frets the hand covers
2
Barre
Yes
Strings that ring
5/6
Fretting fingers
3

Major keys

Eb9 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 (Eb9)

The questions that come up most when playing this chord

Which strings are played and which are muted in the Eb9 chord?

To play the Eb9 chord on guitar, only 5 strings are played, from string 5 to string 1. Muted strings must be gently dampened with the fleshy side of a fretting finger to prevent dissonance.

What is the root bass note of the Eb9 chord and on which string is it located?

The primary bass note of the Eb9 chord is its root note: Eb. In standard guitar tuning (EADGBe), this bass note is located on string 5 at fret 6.

When strumming or fingerpicking, strike this string first.

What notes make up the Eb9 chord and what is its formula?

The Eb9 chord is constructed using the 1 - 3 - 5 - ♭7 - 9 formula (Dominant Ninth). Its constituent pitches are Eb, G, Bb, Db, F.

How do you prevent the Eb9 chord from buzzing or sounding muted?

To prevent fret buzz on the Eb9 barre chord, roll your index finger slightly outward (about 15 degrees) to press with its harder bony edge. Position your finger directly behind the fret wire and apply gentle arm pull from your back rather than squeezing with thumb force.

Study sheet · High resolution

Official Eb9 chord diagram

Eb9 guitar chord diagram with fingering for fingers 1 to 4
Download HD sheet

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Other chords in the Eb family:

Chord Eb Chord Ebm Chord Eb7 Chord Ebmaj7 Chord Ebm7 Chord Ebdim7 Chord Ebm7b5 Chord Ebaug