Practice the E9b5 Chord for Guitar with Our Interactive Fretboard

The E9b5 chord (E ninth flat five) has the notes E, G#, Bb, D and F#. The Bb is the lowered fifth, and the F# is the ninth, a whole step above the root's octave.

Three voicings are listed, and they rely on open strings in two cases and a barre in all three, with the lowest at the 2nd fret. Play it near the microphone and the page shows whether each string sounds, which is a quick way to find a muted one. The notes fit the E Lydian dominant scale, a Mixolydian scale with a raised fourth.

E 9th with flat 5th guitar chord is also written as E9b5, E9(b5) or E9-5.

Notes that compose the E 9b5 chord:

E G# Bb D F#

Chord structure of the Dominant Ninth Flat five chord:

Formula: 1 3 b5 b7 9

E 9b5 Chord Interactive Fretboard

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Go to the full guitar chords tutorial.

E 9b5 Guitar Chord Diagrams

Position 1 Barre Open

Finger Positions

Let the low E string play without pressing any fret
Mute the A string
Place your index finger (1) on the fret 2 of the D and high E strings at the same time
Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 3 of the G string
Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 3 of the B string

Position 2 Barre Movable

Finger Positions

Place your index finger (1) on the fret 6 of the low E, D and high E strings at the same time
Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 7 of the A string
Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 7 of the G string
Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 7 of the B string

Position 3 Barre Open

Finger Positions

Let the low E string play without pressing any fret
Place your index finger (1) on the fret 11 of the A, G and B strings at the same time
Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 12 of the D string
Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 12 of the high E string

Find more shapes in our all guitar chords online library. If you prefer a printable pdf, download the Free Guitar Chords Chart Pdf

Play This Chord With Other Roots

C 9b5 | D 9b5 | E 9b5 | F 9b5 | G 9b5 | A 9b5 | B 9b5 | C#9b5 | D#9b5 | F#9b5 | G#9b5 | A#9b5 | Ab9b5 | Bb9b5 | Db9b5 | Eb9b5 | Gb9b5

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Created by

Giancarlo Facoetti

Giancarlo is a musician (teaching guitar since 2000), software engineer, AI consultant and published researcher

FAQ

What notes are in E9b5?

E9b5 is E, G#, Bb, D and F#. The Bb is the lowered fifth and the F# is the major ninth over the root.

How many E9b5 voicings are there, and which use open strings?

There are 3 voicings, from fret 2 to fret 12. Two use open strings and all 3 are barre voicings.

Which scale goes with E ninth flat five?

The E whole-tone scale is E, F#, G#, A#, B# and D. It holds every chord pitch, with the chord's Bb written as A#.

How is E9b5 different from E9?

E9 has E, G#, B, D and F#. E9b5 lowers the B to Bb, a diminished fifth over the root.

What is the tritone in E9b5?

E and Bb are a tritone apart, and so are G# and D. Both pairs are inside the chord together.