Chord · E Major 9th
Emaj9 Chord
Emaj9 is E, G#, B, D# and F# — lush, gentle; jazz ballads and neo-soul.
Emaj9 on every instrument
The same 5 notes, 3 sets of hands. Open a diagram for alternate shapes, audio and the mistakes to avoid.
What Emaj9 is made of
Emaj9 (E major ninth) is built from the notes E, G#, B, D#, F#, with the interval pattern 1, 3, 5, 7, 9.
Stack 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 on a root of E and you get E, G#, B, D# and F#. That interval recipe is what makes the chord a major ninth chord — move the same shape to another root and the character travels with it, which is why Cmaj9 sounds like a transposed Emaj9.
Major 9th: Lush, gentle; jazz ballads and neo-soul.
Spelling: the notes above are written the way a score would write them, not simplified to the nearest piano key. That is why this chord is spelled with G♯ rather than its enharmonic equivalent.
Keys that contain Emaj9
All 5 notes sit inside the scale of 6 keys. The roman numeral marks the degree the chord is rooted on.
Other chords on E
Same root, different colour.
The same major ninth shape, moved
The identical interval recipe, built on other roots.
Questions people ask about Emaj9
- What notes are in the Emaj9 chord?
- Emaj9 is made of E, G#, B, D# and F# — the 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 degrees of a major ninth chord built on E.
- What keys use the Emaj9 chord?
- Every note of Emaj9 belongs to 6 keys: E Major (I), B Major (IV), Cb Major (IV), C# Minor (III), G# Minor (VI), Ab Minor (VI). The roman numeral is the scale degree the chord is rooted on.
- How do you play Emaj9 on guitar and piano?
- This page shows Emaj9 on guitar, piano and ukulele — 6 voicings in total. Each diagram links to the full instrument page with alternate shapes, audio and common mistakes.
Learn the theory behind it
Why Emaj9 behaves the way it does — the guides that explain the chord instead of just spelling it.