E9 guitar chord

Drop 2 · 1st inversion · 3–R–9–♭7 · dropped from root position
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About E9 — drop 2 voicings

E9 keeps the dominant notes of and includes the : E, G#, B, D and F#. A plain 9 chord includes the flat 7th.

The major 3rd and flat 7th still identify the dominant. The 9th can carry the upper line into the next chord.

Also written Edom9 or E dominant 9.

E9 drop 2 guitar chord diagram: E, G#, B, D, F#, played 4747xx
E9 drop 2 guitar chord voicing: 4-7-4-7-x-x.

What is drop 2

Drop 2
close
753R
→
dropped
73R5

Stack the four notes closely, then drop the second voice from the top an octave. It typically lands on four adjacent strings: the guitar’s workhorse voicing.

That result, 5–R–3–7, is the shape usually meant by drop 2. Named by its bass note, as the inversions are here, it is the 2nd inversion.

×EADGB

How to use E9

1In place of a V7

V in A major

E9 goes wherever a dominant seventh goes; the ninth is only an added colour. When the chord resolves, the ninth does what the seventh does and falls a step.

Compare with

Listen for: The ninth falls a whole step to the fifth of the I. On the plain seventh chord that string plays the root, which just holds.

In which keys. Every note of E9 belongs to F# minor and A major.

What to play over E9

Useful scales

  • +AC#

    Contains E9 and adds eleventh and thirteenth.

  • +A#C#

    Adds sharp eleventh and thirteenth, for a dominant sharp-eleventh color.

Every scale

Chords near E9

Remove a note

Change one note

  • open strings
    open strings
    D → D#

    Raise the flat seventh to the major seventh.

    See Emaj9 chord →
  • open strings
    open strings
    G# → G

    Lower the major third to the minor third.

    See Em9 chord →
  • D → C#

    Lower the flat seventh to the sixth.

    See E69 chord →
  • 3rd inversion
    3rd inversion
    B → Bb

    Lower the fifth to the flat fifth.

    See E9b5 chord →
  • open strings
    open strings
    B → B#

    Raise the fifth to the sharp fifth.

    See Eaug9 chord →
  • open strings
    open strings
    F# → F

    Lower the ninth to the flat ninth.

    See E7b9 chord →

Dominant seventh chords on every root

The common shapes and the derived voicings come from different places, and both are explained in how this site is built.

Midi Settings

7.5
Play Style
One pass of the pick from the lowest string up, everything left ringing.
Instrument
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Style

Shows each chord the way this style would voice it, and marks which of its alternatives belong to the idiom.

Layout

Left Handed Mode