E six nine (E6(9)) chord on guitar
- Notes
- EG♯BC♯F♯
- Formula
- 13569
How to play E6(9) on guitar
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Shape 1 · 1st position
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Shape 2 · fret 6 · barre
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Shape 3 · fret 9 · barre
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Shape 4 · fret 4 · barre
no 5th (B)
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Shape 5 · fret 11 · barre
Some shapes leave out: 5th (B). The caption of each one says what is missing. The 5th is the first to go: it barely changes the sound of the chord.
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). The same shapes work on acoustic, classical and electric guitar.
E6(9) inversions on guitar
The same E6(9) 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 · E6(9)/G#
3rd (G♯) in the bass1st inversion · E6(9)/G#
5th (B) in the bass2nd inversion · E6(9)/B
5th (B) in the bass2nd inversion · E6(9)/B
Jazz voicings
About the six nine chord
A major chord with a sixth and a ninth and no seventh: open, bright and stable enough to end a song on. It is the typical resting chord of bossa nova and jazz; in the classic guitar shape (x32233 for C) the upper notes are stacked in fourths, which gives it a "modern" sound. When a string is missing, the 5th is the first note to go.
Notes and intervals of E6(9)
E6(9) (E six nine) is built from 5 notes. Each one fills a degree of the chord:
- E · 1 · root
- G♯ · 3 · major third
- B · 5 · perfect fifth
- C♯ · 6 · major sixth
- F♯ · 9 · ninth
Other E chords
- E
- Em
- E7
- E7M
- Em7
- Em7(b5)
- E°
- E°7
- E+
- Esus2
- Esus4
- E7sus4
- E5
- Eadd9
- E6
- Em6
- E9
- Em(add9)
- Em9
- E7M(9)
- Em(7M)
- E7M(#5)
- E7(b9)
- E6(9)
- Em6(9)
- E11
- Em11
- E13
- Em13
- E7(#9)
- E7(#11)
- E7(b13)
- E7(#5)
- E7M(#11)
- E9sus4
Six nine: other roots
Frequently asked questions
How do you play the E6(9) chord on guitar?
E6(9) (E six nine) has 5 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 E6(9)?
The notes of E6(9) are E, G♯, B, C♯, F♯. The formula is 1 · 3 · 5 · 6 · 9: root, major third, perfect fifth, major sixth, ninth.
What does E6(9) mean?
E6(9) is the chord symbol for E six nine. A major chord with a sixth and a ninth and no seventh: open, bright and stable enough to end a song on. It is the typical resting chord of bossa nova and jazz; in the classic guitar shape (x32233 for C) the upper notes are stacked in fourths, which gives it a "modern" sound. When a string is missing, the 5th is the first note to go.