Ebaug9

Ebaug9 is Eb, G, B, Db and F, a augmented ninth. The shape this page opens on is written 343443, lowest string first.

Note by note. Eb is the root, G is the major third, B is the sharp fifth, Db is the flat seventh and F is the ninth.

Also written Eb9#5, Eb+9 or Eb9(#5). The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 7 common shapes for Ebaug9 on the guitar, and 23 derived voicings in 3 families.

One note away. Change a single note of Ebaug9 and you have Ebalt (with one note moved), Ebaug7 (with one note taken away), Eb9 (with one note moved) or Eb9b5 (with one note moved).

The common shapes, written lowest string first: 343443, x65667, 989889, 11-10-x-10-0-9, 11-10-11-10-12-x, 11-x-11-12-12-13, x-x-11-12-12-13.

Under the hand. None of the shapes for Ebaug9 uses an open string, so every one of them is movable; the lowest sits at the 3rd fret. 3 of the 7 need a barre. Together they cover the neck from the 3rd fret to the 13th.

Where it goes. Ebaug9 is a dominant with its tension raised, so it still points at Ab — harder than a plain seventh does, because the altered tones sit a semitone from where they are going.

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. Ebaug9 has xx1021, x6566x, 11-10-11-10-x-x, x-x-13-12-14-13, x6x687, 11-x-11-12-12-x, x6x021, x6x027.

Rootless. The root left to the bass player. Frees a finger for a tension. Ebaug9 has xx3423, x2302x, x4546x, xx5667, x-x-9-10-8-9, x-10-11-10-12-x, x-x-11-12-12-13, x2x021.

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. Ebaug9 has x4300x.

Tensions. A shell of Ebaug9, root, third and seventh, leaves a string free, and the tones that belong over it are the #11 (A).

What kind of chord this is. Ebaug9 is an altered chord — a dominant seventh with its fifth or ninth moved. altered dominant 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.