Learn the E7(b9) Guitar Chord on Our Interactive Fretboard

The E7(b9) chord, also read as E seventh flat nine, is spelled E, G#, B, D and F: a root, a major third, a perfect fifth, a minor seventh and a flat ninth. The sound is tied to minor-key dominants and to the Spanish colour of the phrygian dominant scale.

Six voicings in total, from fret 1 to fret 12, and two of them are barre shapes. When you improvise over this chord, try the E Half-Whole scale, the eight-note scale built from alternating half steps and whole steps, which covers all five chord tones. If stacking thirds is new to you, how chords are built explains it step by step.

Pick a tempo for the drum loop in the tool at the top of the page and repeat the chord in time.

E 7th with flat 9th guitar chord is also written as E7(b9), E7b9 or E7-9.

E7(b9) Chord Notes and Formula

Notes of the E 7(b9) chord:

E G# B D F

Tones in the Dominant Seventh Flat Nine Added chord:

Formula: 1 3 5 b7 b9

E7(b9) Chord Interactive Fretboard

Want a structured chord roadmap instead of jumping between pages?
Go to the full guitar chords tutorial.

E7(b9) Guitar Chord Diagrams

Position 1 Open

E Seventh Flat Nine Finger Positions

Let the low E string play without pressing any fret
Mute the A string
Let the D string play without pressing any fret
Let the B string play without pressing any fret
Place your index finger (1) on the fret 1 of the G string
Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 1 of the high E string

Position 2 Barre Open

E Seventh Flat Nine Finger Positions

Let the low E string play without pressing any fret
Mute the high E string
Place your index finger (1) on the fret 6 of the D and B strings at the same time
Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 7 of the A string
Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 7 of the G string

Position 3 Open

E Seventh Flat Nine Finger Positions

Let the low E string play without pressing any fret
Let the B string play without pressing any fret
Let the high E string play without pressing any fret
Place your index finger (1) on the fret 10 of the G string
Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 11 of the A string
Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 12 of the D string

Position 4 Barre Movable

E Seventh Flat Nine Finger Positions

Mute the low E string
Mute the high E string
Place your index finger (1) on the fret 6 of the D and B strings at the same time
Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 7 of the A string
Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 7 of the G string

Position 5 Open

E Seventh Flat Nine Finger Positions

Let the low E string play without pressing any fret
Let the high E string play without pressing any fret
Place your index finger (1) on the fret 10 of the G string
Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 11 of the A string
Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 12 of the D string
Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 12 of the B string

Position 6 Open

E Seventh Flat Nine Finger Positions

Let the low E string play without pressing any fret
Mute the A string
Mute the high E string
Place your index finger (1) on the fret 6 of the D string
Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 6 of the B string
Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 7 of the G string

Find more shapes in our all guitar chords online library. If you prefer a printable pdf, download the Free Guitar Chords Chart Pdf

Chords That Go With E7(b9)

One key where E7(b9) fits is A major, where it works as the V chord, an altered chord whose F is borrowed from outside the key. These are the main chords of that key, the ones you will often hear around it:

I · A ii · Bm iii · C#m IV · D V · E vi · F#m

See every key in the guitar keys chart, or build a progression with these chords in the chord progression generator.

More E Chords

E Em E7 Em7 Emaj7 Esus4 Esus2 Eadd9 Edim E9 E7(#11) E7#5 E7#9 E7b5

Want to know how this chord is built? Read dominant chords explained, or browse all E guitar chords.

Play This Chord With Other Roots

C 7(b9) | D 7(b9) | E 7(b9) | F 7(b9) | G 7(b9) | A 7(b9) | B 7(b9) | C#7(b9) | D#7(b9) | F#7(b9) | G#7(b9) | A#7(b9) | Ab7(b9) | Bb7(b9) | Db7(b9) | Eb7(b9) | Gb7(b9)

Want to Learn Everything About Chords?

Check Chords Domination out: a unique ebook that shows you finger positions, note names and intervals in the chords (plus a tones fretboard maps)

You'll learn how to play 44 chords types across all the fretboard, with many voicings and fingerings

In the ebook you can also find maps show you the tones in a chord all along the fretboard. They are incredibly helpful because allow you to:

Create new voicings on the fly, across all the neck
Improvise targeting the right notes
Unlock the fretboard and expand the CAGED system.

In the new ebook, Chords Domination, you'll find the fretboard tones maps for 44 different qualities of chords. Check it out:

Download Free Excerpt Learn More Here

Created by

Giancarlo Facoetti

Giancarlo is a musician (teaching guitar since 2000), software engineer, AI consultant and published researcher

FAQ

Which notes are in the E seventh flat nine chord?

E, G#, B, D and F. The F is the flat ninth, a half step higher than E one octave up. The remaining four notes make an E seventh chord.

What interval is the b9 in E7(b9)?

It is a minor ninth. On E the note is F, a half step higher than the root, only one octave higher. That close clash with the root is the sharp edge of the chord.

Where does E7(b9) tend to resolve?

A dominant seventh tends to resolve up a fourth, so E7(b9) leads to A. The flat ninth makes A minor the natural target.

What scale fits E7(b9)?

The E Phrygian Dominant scale, spelled E, F, G#, A, B, C and D, contains all five chord tones. It is the fifth mode of harmonic minor.

How many ways can I play E7(b9)?

Six voicings are listed, from the first fret to the twelfth fret. Five of them involve open strings, and two are barre voicings.