About the Em9 chord
The minor ninth adds the ninth to a minor seventh chord. It is smooth and lush, and sits at the heart of neo-soul, R&B and jazz. The symbol for it is Em9.
How to play Em9
- Put your index finger on the A string at fret 2.
- Put your middle finger on the D string at fret 2.
- Put your ring finger on the high E string at fret 2.
- Strum and let the low E and G and B strings ring open.
1 index · 2 middle · 3 ring · 4 little
Chords in the key of E minor
These are the chords built on each note of the E minor scale, so they all sound good together with Em9. The Roman numeral under each one is its position in the key.
Other E chords
Em9 chord questions
What notes are in a Em9 chord?
Em9 is made of E, G, B, D and F♯. In intervals that is 1, ♭3, 5, ♭7, 9 above the root, E.
What is the easiest way to play Em9?
The first shape above is the most common one: 0 2 2 0 0 2 from the low E string to the high E, where x means don't play that string and 0 means play it open. Start there, and try the other shapes once it feels comfortable.
Is Em9 a barre chord?
The main shape above is an open chord with no barre. Some of the other shapes further up the neck do use a barre, which lets you move the same shape to any key.