How to play E7โฏ9/F๐ช chord on guitar
Shape xa999a
Shape characteristics
Barre chord
Your first finger flattens across multiple strings at the same fret. Movable up and down the neck to any key without changing the shape.
Upper register ยท fret 9-10
Brighter, more focused tone with less low-end. Works well when layering over a bassist or second guitar, and integrates naturally with lead-line phrasing higher on the neck.
Five-string voicing
One string muted. Keeps a full low end without overlapping awkwardly with a bassist or second guitar.
Bass: G ยท Top: D
The lowest note isn't a traditional chord tone for this chord, so the voicing has an added colour or slash-chord flavour.
Compared to Shape 356430 , this voicing uses an open chord and sits lower on the neck (starting at fret 3) and adds 1 more ringing string for a fuller sound.
How to play this shape
- 1 Place the 1st finger on the 9th fret of the 2nd string, 3rd string, and 4th string in barre position
- 2 Place the 2nd finger on the 10th fret of the 5th string
- 3 Place the 3rd finger on the 10th fret of the 1st string
Frequently Asked Questions
What does "xa999a" mean?
The sequence xa999a is a highly compact guitar chord notation. It represents the fret played on each of the 6 strings, reading left-to-right from the thickest (lowest pitch) string to the thinnest (highest pitch) string: E, A, D, G, B, e.
- x means the string is muted or skipped entirely.
- 0 means the string is played "open" (without pressing over a fret).
- 1-9 represent standard fret numbers 1 to 9.
- a, b, c... represent frets 10, 11, 12, and higher (where a=10, b=11, c=12).
Can I play this E7โฏ9/F๐ช shape anywhere else?
Yes! This specific layout is just one way to voice a E7โฏ9/F๐ช chord. You can find all other variations in our chord shape library for E7โฏ9/F๐ช. Most guitarists choose different shapes based on whether they want a "brighter" or "deeper" sound, or which chord they are transitioning from.
Why do some strings have an 'x'?
Strings marked with an 'x' should not ring out. These notes are excluded because they don't belong to the E7โฏ9/F๐ช chord or would clash with this specific voicing. You can mute these strings by lightly touching them with a finger that is already pressing a neighboring fret.
Other shapes
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