E♭ major ninth (E♭maj9) chord on piano

Looking for the E♭maj9 chord on piano? It is a major ninth chord (a major seventh chord plus a major ninth), made of five notes: E♭ – G – B♭ – D – F. The same chord with a different spelling: D♯ major ninth (D♯maj9).

Full chord: E♭4 – G4 – B♭4 – D5 – F5

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What the E♭maj9 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 E♭maj9 chord

Degree	Note	Interval from the root
1	E♭	root
3	G	major third (4 semitones)
5	B♭	perfect fifth (7 semitones)
7	D	major seventh (11 semitones)
9	F	major second (2 semitones)

Piano voicings

Chords with five or more notes are rarely played in one hand: the left hand takes the root, the right hand the colour notes. The fifth (and in an eleventh chord the third) is often left out.

Full chord

E♭4 – G4 – B♭4 – D5 – F5

Two-hand voicing

E♭3 – G4 – D5 – F5 – B♭5

Which keys is it in?

The E♭maj9 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 E♭maj9 is too hard, or you want a different colour in the same spot, these chords are worth a try.

Substitutes (by function)

Cm7 – relative minor seventh: three shared notes
Gm7 – mediant minor seventh: three shared notes
E♭6 – another tonic colour, more vintage and swingy

Simpler versions

E♭maj7 – all 4 of its notes are in this chord
E♭add9 – all 4 of its notes are in this chord
E♭ – all 3 of its notes are in this chord
E♭sus2 – all 3 of its notes are in this chord

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the E♭maj9 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.

How do I play the E♭maj9 chord on piano?

Play the root with your left hand and the colour notes (third, seventh, ninth) with your right hand – the two-hand voicing above. Stacking all 5 notes in one hand is possible but sounds crowded.

How is the E♭maj9 chord written?

The chord symbol is E♭maj9 (also written Ebmaj9), and its full name is E♭ major ninth.