Popular fretboard positions with fingering suggestions
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Em9 is the E minor 9 guitar chord. It uses the notes E, G, B, D, and F♯ and the interval formula 1-♭3-5-♭7-9.
The E minor 9 minor 9 chord combines the minor 7th with a major ninth F♯, producing a lush, moody atmosphere. The added ninth F♯ softens the minor tonality with a dreamy, jazzy color, perfect for soulful ballads and expressive emotional landscapes.
Also written as Emin9.
These are quick-start shapes for players who want the answer first and the deeper theory second.
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Each note below shows how the chord is built from its root. This is the theory layer underneath the fretboard shapes.
The root anchors the chord and defines its tonal center.
This note supplies the minor color and gives the chord its darker emotional pull.
The fifth reinforces stability and gives the chord its strong harmonic frame.
The minor seventh adds bluesy or jazzy tension that wants to move onward.
The ninth opens the chord up and adds a modern, spacious color.
Every shape is shown with its diagram and exact fingering instructions.
Em9 uses the notes E, G, B, D, and F♯. Its interval formula is 1-♭3-5-♭7-9.
Em9 is also written as Emin9.
Place the 1st finger on the 2nd fret of the 5th string. Place the 2nd finger on the 2nd fret of the 1st string. Let the sixth, fourth, third, and second strings ring open. Strum from the 6th string down.
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