About the E♭9 chord
The dominant ninth extends a seventh chord with the ninth. It is the sound of funk and soul rhythm guitar, and a richer substitute for any dominant seventh. The symbol for it is E♭9. (also written D♯9)
How to play E♭9
- Put your index finger on the D string at fret 1.
- Put your middle finger on the high E string at fret 1.
- Put your ring finger on the B string at fret 2.
- Strum and let the G string ring open, and don't play the low E and A strings.
1 index · 2 middle · 3 ring · 4 little
Chords in the key of E♭ major
These are the chords built on each note of the E♭ major scale, so they all sound good together with E♭9. The Roman numeral under each one is its position in the key.
Other E♭ chords
E♭9 chord questions
What notes are in a E♭9 chord?
E♭9 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 E♭9?
The first shape above is the most common one: x x 1 0 2 1 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 E♭9 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.