Em6/9

Character: dark, open

  1. ERtriad
  2. G♭3triad
  3. B5triad
  4. C♯6add
  5. F♯9add
Voicings

3 ways to play Em6/9

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

  • Triad note
  • Substitute
  • Added
  • Anchored root
  • Bass
  • Doubling
CC shape Root position Em6/9
4 5 6 7 5 9 6 ♭3 R R R

Frets 0 7 5 6 7 0Notes E G C♯ F♯Intervals 1 ♭3 6 9Base triadE minor, root position

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

GG shape Root position Em6/9
9 10 11 12 5 9 6 ♭3 R R 5

Frets 12 10 11 11 0 0Notes E G C♯ F♯Intervals 1 ♭3 6 9Base triadE minor, root position

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

EE shape 2nd inversion Em6/9/B
1 2 3 4 9 6 ♭3 R 5 R

Frets 0 2 2 0 2 2Notes B E G C♯ F♯Intervals 5 1 ♭3 6 9Base triadE minor, 2nd inversion

The 6th gets a string of its own. The 9th gets a string of its own.

The rules

The construction rules Em6/9 follows

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

Minor 6/9 in every key

Em6/9 chord questions

What notes are in Em6/9?

Em6/9 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 Em6/9?

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

How many ways can you play Em6/9 on guitar?

This page shows 3 voicings of Em6/9, filed under the five CAGED shapes and named by inversion, from the open position up to the 16th fret.