E6/9

Character: open

Voicings

3 ways to play E6/9

Every voicing sits inside one of the five CAGED shapes, low to high on the neck, with its octave doublings in grey.

CC shape Root position E6/9

Frets 0 7 6 6 7 0Notes E G♯ C♯ F♯Intervals 1 3 6 9Base triadE major, root position

The 6th takes the 5th’s string. The 9th gets a string of its own.

GG shape Root position E6/9

Frets 12 11 11 11 0 0Notes E G♯ C♯ F♯Intervals 1 3 6 9Base triadE major, root position

The 6th takes the 5th’s string. The 9th gets a string of its own.

EE shape Root position E6/9

Frets x x 2 1 2 2Notes E G♯ C♯ F♯Intervals 1 3 6 9Base triadE major, root position

The 6th takes the 5th’s string. The 9th gets a string of its own.

The rules

Start from a triad
Root, 3rd and 5th, stacked in thirds. The 3rd makes it major or minor; the 5th makes it diminished or augmented when it moves.
No 7th, no stack
6, add9, add11 and 6/9 are a triad with a colour note, not a stack. Without a 7th the chord sounds open rather than jazzy.
On guitar, something has to give
Each extension takes the string of a triad note that matters less, usually the 5th, or gets a string of its own. The root and 3rd stay: they say what the chord is.

All the rules, with examples, in the guide to the chord library.

What notes are in E6/9?

E6/9 is spelled E G♯ B C♯ F♯: E is the root, G♯ is the 3rd, B is the 5th, C♯ is the 6th, F♯ is the 9th.

What is the formula of E6/9?

1 3 5 6 9. It is a E major triad with the 6th, 9th stacked on top.

How many ways can you play E6/9 on guitar?

This page shows 3 voicings of E6/9, filed under the five CAGED shapes and named by inversion, from the open position up to the 16th fret.