E ninth (E9) chord on cavaquinho
- Notes
- EG♯BDF♯
- Formula
- 135♭79
How to play E9 on cavaquinho
-
Shape 1 · fret 1
no 5th (B)
-
Shape 2 · fret 4
no 5th (B)
-
Shape 3 · fret 1
no 5th (B)
-
Shape 4 · fret 4
no 5th (B)
The E9 has 5 notes, and on cavaquinho only 4 fit at a time. The shapes on this page leave out: 5th (B). That is standard practice: the 5th goes first (it barely changes the sound) and, if a string is still missing, the root, which the bass player usually covers.
Numbers are fingers: 1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring, 4 pinky. x = do not play the string, o = open string. The coloured dot is the root (E).
E9 inversions on cavaquinho
The same E9 with another chord note in the bass (the lowest note that sounds). The notes stay the same, but the colour changes, and the bass line can move by step from one chord to the next. In a chord symbol, the bass comes after the slash.
3rd (G♯) in the bass1st inversion · E9/G#
3rd (G♯) in the bass1st inversion · E9/G#
7th (D) in the bass3rd inversion · E9/D
7th (D) in the bass3rd inversion · E9/D
About the ninth chord
A dominant chord with a ninth: the seventh plus the ninth make the chord full and groovy. It is the sound of funk, soul, samba-jazz and modern blues, and it can almost always stand in for a plain seventh chord.
Notes and intervals of E9
E9 (E ninth) is built from 5 notes. Each one fills a degree of the chord:
- E · 1 · root
- G♯ · 3 · major third
- B · 5 · perfect fifth
- D · ♭7 · minor seventh
- F♯ · 9 · ninth
Other E chords
Ninth: other roots
Frequently asked questions
How do you play the E9 chord on cavaquinho?
E9 (E ninth) has 4 fingerings on this page, from easiest to hardest. Each diagram shows the fingers, the open strings (o) and the strings you do not play (x), and you can hear every shape.
What notes are in E9?
The notes of E9 are E, G♯, B, D, F♯. The formula is 1 · 3 · 5 · ♭7 · 9: root, major third, perfect fifth, minor seventh, ninth.
What does E9 mean?
E9 is the chord symbol for E ninth. A dominant chord with a ninth: the seventh plus the ninth make the chord full and groovy. It is the sound of funk, soul, samba-jazz and modern blues, and it can almost always stand in for a plain seventh chord.
Can I play E9 on other instruments?
Yes. E9 also has a page on guitar, on ukulele, with the fingerings for each instrument.