Em9

Em9 is E, G, B, D and F#, a minor ninth. The shape this page opens on is written 020002, lowest string first.

Note by note. E is the root, G is the minor third, B is the fifth, D is the flat seventh and F# is the ninth.

Also written Emin9, E-9 or E minor 9. The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 10 common shapes for Em9 on the guitar, and 48 derived voicings in 5 families.

One note away. Change a single note of Em9 and you have Em69 (with one note moved), Em7 (with one note taken away), Em11 (with one note added), EmMaj9 (with one note moved), E9 (with one note moved) or E7#9 (with one note moved).

In which keys. Every note of Em9 belongs to D major (the ii), E minor (the i), G major (the vi) and B minor (the iv).

The common shapes, written lowest string first: 020002, 022032, 354453, x7577x, x-9-9-9-8-10, x-x-9-11-8-10, 0-10-12-11-12-10, 12-10-x-11-12-10, x-10-12-11-12-12, 12-14-12-12-12-14.

Under the hand. 2 of the 10 shapes here sit in open position, and the first uses 4 open strings. 5 of the 10 need a barre. Together they cover the neck from the 2nd fret to the 14th.

Shell. Root, third and seventh: the guide tones fix the quality, so the fifth is dropped. That is what leaves a string free, so pick a tension to put on top. Em9 has xx2032, x7577x, 12-10-12-11-x-x, 0x007x, x-x-14-12-15-14, x7x032.

Drop 2. A close-position chord with the second voice from the top lowered an octave. Sits on four adjacent strings. Em9 has xx2032, x5405x, x7577x, 12-10-12-11-x-x, 2520xx, 3747xx, xx4753, x-9-12-9-8-x.

Drop 3. The third voice from the top lowered an octave. The dropped voice becomes the bass, which is why a string is skipped. Em9 has 2x203x, x5x052, x7x773, 3x475x, x-9-x-9-8-10, 12-x-12-11-8-x, 14-x-14-12-15-x, 10-x-5-9-7-x.

Rootless. The root left to the bass player. Frees a finger for a tension. Em9 has xx0002, x2403x, xx4433, xx5777, x9978x, x-10-12-11-12-x, x-x-12-12-12-14, x2x032.

Open string. An open string left ringing against a fretted grip. Because it costs no finger, it sounds a note the closed shape has none left for -- a tension on top, or a pedal root underneath. Either a familiar grip with open strings added, or a shape so sparse the open strings carry the chord. These belong to their key rather than to a shape, so D, A, G and E have many and Eb a handful. Em9 has 004433, 0x5777, 05547x, x55470, 200000, 040002.

Tensions. A shell of Em9, root, third and seventh, leaves a string free, and the tones that belong over it are the 11 (A) and the 13 (C#).

What kind of chord this is. Em9 is a minor chord — root, minor third, fifth. minor chords on every root, and what they are for.

The common shapes and the derived voicings come from different places, and both are explained in where the chords and the theory come from.