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The Em(add9) chord (E minor add nine) on guitar

Em(add9) is E minor with one extra note, F#, the ninth. Nothing is taken away: the G that makes the chord minor stays, and the F# lets some light in above it. On the guitar it costs one finger on top of the E minor you already know. The only rule is to keep the G ringing, because without it the chord stops being minor.

Em(add9) chord: notes and shapes at a glance

  • Name: E minor add nine
  • Symbol: Em(add9)
  • Notes: E, G, B, F#

Each shape below is written from the thickest string to the thinnest: a number is the fret, 0 an open string, x a string you do not play. New to this? See how to read chord diagrams.

Shape Frets, low E to high E Notes, low to high What it is for
Em(add9), open 022002 E B E G B F# Em with F# added on the high E. Every note rings, and the ninth sits on top where you hear it.
Em(add9), ninth inside 024000 E B F# G B E F# moves to the fourth string, rubbing against the open G. Darker and more intimate.
Em(add9), movable x7547x E G B F# The classic minor add9 stretch, root on the fifth string. Slide it to play any minor add9.
Em(add9), open 0 2 2 0 0 2 · 2 3 · · 4 fingers
Em(add9), ninth inside 0 2 4 0 0 0 · 1 3 · · · fingers
Em(add9), movable x 7 5 4 7 x · 3 2 1 4 · fingers

Read each diagram from the thickest string on the left to the thinnest on the right. A cross means the string is not played, a circle means it rings open.

Em(add9) on the neck: every E, G, B, F#

Standard tuning, frets 0 to 12. The highlighted notes are the notes of Em(add9): any shape you build from them, anywhere on the neck, is still Em(add9).

Fretboard notes
Swipe the fretboard sideways to see every fret.
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
1 - E
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
2 - B
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
3 - G
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
4 - D
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
5 - A
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
6 - E
E
F
F#
G
G#
A
A#
B
C
C#
D
D#
E

How to play Em(add9), from Em

  1. Play Em, 022000: second finger on the fifth string at fret 2, third finger on the fourth string at fret 2.
  2. Add the fourth finger on the first string (high E) at fret 2. That note is F#.
  3. Check the third string. It plays open G, and it is the note that keeps the chord minor. Arch the third finger so it does not touch it.
  4. Strum all six strings, then go back to Em and again to Em(add9). The bass and the G stay put; only the top note changes.
The string by string check for 022002, low to high: E, B, E, G, B, F#. If you hear five notes, find the silent one before pressing harder.

Em(add9), Esus2, Eadd9, Em9: four different chords

Chord Notes What changes
Em(add9) E, G, B, F# The full minor chord, plus the ninth.
Esus2 E, F#, B No third at all: neither minor nor major.
Eadd9 E, G#, B, F# Major third, G#: the bright version.
Em9 E, G, B, D, F# Adds the seventh, D, as well: denser, jazzier.

If what you want is the seventh rather than the ninth, the Em7 chord adds D instead of F#. The two colors are close and worth comparing by ear.

The movable shape: x7547x

Third finger on the fifth string at fret 7 (E), second finger on the fourth string at fret 5 (G), first finger on the third string at fret 4 (B), fourth finger on the second string at fret 7 (F#). Mute the low E with the tip of the third finger and the high E with the underside of the fourth.

It is a stretch of four frets, so start it higher on the neck where the frets are closer, then slide it down. Because nothing rings open, the same grip gives any minor add9: the root is always under the third finger.

Where to use it

Progression Shapes
Em(add9), C, G, D 022002, x32010, 320003, xx0232
Em(add9), Am, C, B7 022002, x02210, x32010, x21202
Em, Em(add9), Em 022000, 022002, 022000

Song charts rarely write Em(add9). It is a color you choose: take a song you already play with Em, swap it in on one chord, and keep it where it helps the melody. It shines in slow arpeggios, where each note is heard on its own. More grids to try it in on the chord progressions page.

Frequently asked questions

How do you play Em add9 on guitar?
Play 022002: a normal E minor with the second and third fingers, plus the fourth finger on the high E at fret 2. Strum all six strings. The high F# is the added ninth.
What notes are in Em(add9)?
Four: E, G, B and F#. The E minor triad, plus F#, the ninth. There is no seventh, which is what separates it from Em9.
What is the difference between Em(add9) and Esus2?
Esus2 is E, F# and B: the F# replaces the G. Em(add9) keeps the G and adds the F#. Without G the chord is neither minor nor major; with it, it stays clearly minor. If your shape has no G anywhere, you are playing Esus2.
Is Em(add9) the same as Em9?
No. Em9 adds both the seventh, D, and the ninth, F#. Em(add9) skips the D. It is lighter and sits more easily in folk and pop, where a seventh can sound too jazzy.
Can I play Em(add9) instead of Em?
Often. F# belongs to the keys Em usually lives in (G major, D major, E minor), so it rarely clashes. Try it on one Em in a song, listen, and keep it only where it helps the melody.
Yohann Abbou, guitar teacher and founder of Guitar Social Club

Who made this

Guitar Social Club is the work of Yohann Abbou, a guitar teacher in Paris who teaches adults. Every shape on this page is written string by string and checked against standard tuning, and the diagrams are drawn from those same fret numbers. The rest of our free guitar tools, including the chord finder, work the same way.

More about Yohann on his page, and about why Guitar Social Club exists.