Practice Em9 Chord for Guitar: Charts & Interactive Lessons

E, G, B, D and F# make up the Em9 chord, E minor ninth. Six of the seven voicings on this page use open strings, and none uses a barre.

The G, B, D and F# above the root make a Gmaj7 chord, which is a quick way to remember the shape of the upper notes. For the background on how the ninth is stacked, see how chords are built. The E minor scale contains all five notes.

The fretboard at the top labels each note of each voicing, so you can see where the open strings fit in.

E minor 9th guitar chord is also written as Em9, Emin9 or E-9.

Notes that compose the E m9 chord:

E G B D F#

Chord Formula:

Formula: 1 b3 5 b7 9

E M9 Chord Interactive Fretboard

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

E M9 Guitar Chord Diagrams

Position 1 Open

Finger Positions

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

Position 2 Open

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 5 of the D string
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
Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 7 of the B string

Position 3 Open

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 A string
Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 11 of the G 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 4 Open

Finger Positions

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

Position 5 Movable

Finger Positions

Mute the low E string
Mute the high E string
Place your index finger (1) on the fret 5 of the D string
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
Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 7 of the B string

Position 6 Open

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 A string
Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 11 of the G string
Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 12 of the D string

Position 7 Open

Finger Positions

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

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

Play This Chord With Other Roots

C m9 | D m9 | E m9 | F m9 | G m9 | A m9 | B m9 | C#m9 | D#m9 | F#m9 | G#m9 | A#m9 | Abm9 | Bbm9 | Dbm9 | Ebm9 | Gbm9

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
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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:

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Created by

Giancarlo Facoetti

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

FAQ

What notes are in Em9?

Em9 is E, G, B, D and F#. The F# is the ninth, two semitones up from E after an octave.

How is Em9 different from Em7?

Em7 is E, G, B and D. Em9 adds F#, so every note of the E minor seventh chord remains and the ninth is added to it.

Which scale fits E minor ninth?

E Dorian: E, F#, G, A, B, C#, D. All five notes of Em9 are in it, and the ninth F# is its second degree.

How many ways can Em9 be played?

The fingering data lists 7 voicings from the 2nd to the 12th fret. Six of them use open strings.

Does Em9 contain any sharps or flats?

Only one note carries an accidental, the ninth F#. The other four notes, E, G, B and D, are natural.