E major ninth (Emaj9) chord on guitar

Looking for the Emaj9 chord on guitar? It is a major ninth chord (a major seventh chord plus a major ninth), made of five notes: E – G♯ – B – D♯ – F♯.

Dots show:

Open positioneasy

Open positionmedium

Position 1medium

Position 6medium

E shape, fret 12hard

Tap a string on a diagram to hear just that string. The sound is generated in your browser with a physical string model.

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What the Emaj9 chord sounds like

A major ninth is a major seventh chord with an added ninth: spacious, floating and very jazzy as a tonic.

Notes of the Emaj9 chord

Degree	Note	Interval from the root
1	E	root
3	G♯	major third (4 semitones)
5	B	perfect fifth (7 semitones) – often omitted on fretted instruments
7	D♯	major seventh (11 semitones)
9	F♯	major second (2 semitones)

How to play it – with fingering

Open position, barre at fret 1

String 1 (e): fret 2, little finger (F♯4)
String 2 (B): open (B3)
String 3 (G): fret 1, middle finger (G♯3)
String 4 (D): fret 1, index finger (D♯3)
String 5 (A): fret 2, ring finger (B2)
String 6 (E): open (E2)

Open position

String 1 (e): fret 4, little finger (G♯4)
String 2 (B): fret 4, ring finger (D♯4)
String 3 (G): fret 4, middle finger (B3)
String 4 (D): fret 4, index finger (F♯3)
String 5 (A): not played
String 6 (E): open (E2)

Position 1

String 1 (e): fret 2, ring finger (F♯4)
String 2 (B): fret 4, little finger (D♯4)
String 3 (G): fret 1, index finger (G♯3)
String 4 (D): fret 2, middle finger (E3)
String 5 (A): not played
String 6 (E): not played

The “C, A, G, E and D shapes” are the CAGED system: you slide the shape of the open C, A, G, E or D chord up the neck and your index finger (a barre) takes over the job of the nut. That way the same chord can be played in five places, anywhere on the fretboard.

Tuning: E A D G B E (low to high). String 6 is the thickest, the low E. In the diagram, × means the string is not played, and a circle means an open string.

Which keys is it in?

The Emaj9 chord is built from the notes of these keys (for minor keys, both the natural and the harmonic minor are considered):

E major: Imaj9 (tonic)
B major: IVmaj9 (subdominant)
C♯ minor: IIImaj9
G♯ minor: VImaj9

Similar chords and substitutes

If Emaj9 is too hard, or you want a different colour in the same spot, these chords are worth a try.

Substitutes (by function)

C♯m7 – relative minor seventh: three shared notes
A♭m7 – mediant minor seventh: three shared notes
E6 – another tonic colour, more vintage and swingy

Simpler versions

Emaj7 – all 4 of its notes are in this chord
Eadd9 – all 4 of its notes are in this chord
E – all 3 of its notes are in this chord
Esus2 – all 3 of its notes are in this chord

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the Emaj9 chord?

E, G♯, B, D♯, F♯. The root is E; the intervals of the other notes from the root: major third, perfect fifth, major seventh, major second.

What is the easiest way to play Emaj9 on guitar?

The easiest shape above is “Open position”, rated easy. We show 5 shapes, from open and easy versions to movable barre shapes higher up the neck.

How do I read the chord diagram?

Strings run from the lowest (left) to the highest (right) – tick “Left-handed” to mirror it. Rows are frets; a number at the side shows the starting fret. Dots are fingers (1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring, 4 little), a long bar is a barre, × means don't play that string and ○ means play it open.

Why is a note missing from some Emaj9 shapes?

On a fretted instrument you can't always play every note of a 5-note chord. The fifth (B) may be dropped – the chord keeps its character without it.

How is the Emaj9 chord written?

The chord symbol is Emaj9, and its full name is E major ninth.