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The E9 chord on guitar, from open position to funk

E9 is an E7 with one more note on top, F#, the ninth. It is the most played ninth chord on the guitar, and for many players it simply is the funk chord: the four string shape at the seventh fret is the one behind countless choppy rhythm parts. In open position it does a quieter job, as a richer E7 in a blues.

E9 chord: notes and shapes at a glance

  • Name: E dominant ninth
  • Symbol: E9
  • Notes: E, G#, B, D, 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
E9, open 020102 E B D G# B F# E7 with F# added on top. All six strings, for blues and strummed accompaniment.
E9, open with D on top 020132 E B D G# D F# Same chord with the seventh doubled on the B string. A little more bite in the treble.
E9, funk shape x7677x E G# D F# without B The four string funk chord. The fifth (B) is left out on purpose: tighter and easier to mute.
E9, five strings x76777 E G# D F# B The funk shape with the high E added. The third finger lies flat across the top three strings at fret 7.
E9, open 0 2 0 1 0 2 · 2 · 1 · 3 fingers
E9, open with D on top 0 2 0 1 3 2 · 2 · 1 4 3 fingers
E9, funk shape x 7 6 7 7 x · 2 1 3 4 · fingers
E9, five strings x 7 6 7 7 7 · 2 1 3 3 3 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.

E9 on the neck: every E, G#, B, D, F#

Standard tuning, frets 0 to 12. The highlighted notes are the notes of E9: any shape you build from them, anywhere on the neck, is still E9.

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

The open E9, step by step

Start from E7 (020100) and add one finger. That is all E9 is.

  1. First finger on the third string (G) at fret 1: G#, the third.
  2. Second finger on the fifth string (A) at fret 2: B, the fifth.
  3. Third finger on the first string (high E) at fret 2: F#, the ninth.
  4. Strum all six strings. The open D string is the seventh.

Play E7, then E9, then E7 again, and listen to the top string: E, then F#, then E. That one note is the whole difference in color.

The funk shape: x7677x

This is the E9 you hear in funk and soul rhythm guitar. Four notes, no open strings, so it can be cut off at will.

String Fret Note Role Finger
5 (A) 7 E Root 2
4 (D) 6 G# Major third 1
3 (G) 7 D Minor seventh 3
2 (B) 7 F# Ninth 4, or 3 laid flat

The low E and the high E stay silent: the tip of the second finger touches the low E, and the underside of the fingers rests on the high E. Then the strumming hand can swing across all six strings without a stray note.

The shape is movable. Two frets down it becomes D9, five frets up it becomes A9 at the twelfth fret. Learn it once and you have every ninth chord on the neck.

Where E9 fits

  • Funk and soul in E: a whole groove can sit on E9 for bars at a time, with the rhythm doing the work rather than the chord changes.
  • Blues in E: E9 can replace E7 on the I chord for a jazzier color. Do the same with A9 and B9 and the whole twelve bars get smoother.
  • As a dominant in A: E9 does the job of E7, the V chord pulling toward A, with a softer edge.

Because E9 is a dominant chord, it does not replace a plain E major in a pop song: the D inside it changes the function. The chord progressions page shows where dominant chords sit in the usual patterns.

Frequently asked questions

How do you play E9 on guitar?
In open position, play 020102: first finger on the G string at fret 1, second finger on the A string at fret 2, third finger on the high E at fret 2, all six strings. For funk, use the movable shape x7677x at the seventh fret.
What notes are in an E9 chord?
Five: E, G#, B, D and F#. Root, major third, fifth, minor seventh and ninth. On guitar the fifth is often left out, which is why the four string funk shape is still a real E9.
What is the difference between E7 and E9?
E9 is E7 with the ninth, F#, added. The function does not change: both are dominant chords that pull toward A. E9 simply sounds richer and smoother, which is why funk and soul players reach for it.
What is the difference between E9 and Eadd9?
The seventh. E9 contains D, the minor seventh, so it is a dominant chord. Eadd9 keeps the plain E major triad and only adds F#: it sounds bright and stable instead of bluesy.
How do you strum E9 in funk?
Sixteenth notes, with your strumming hand moving all the time and about half the strokes muted. Lighten the pressure of the fretting hand between hits, without lifting off the strings, so the chord cuts off cleanly. The four string shape exists for exactly that.
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.