E Dominant 9 (E9) Chord Guitar

A ringing open dominant 9th — pure blues and funk.

A dominant 9th (1-3-5-♭7-9) voiced low and open.
Gritty and funky — a blues and R&B staple.
Anchored on the open low E for maximum resonance.
A favourite for blues shuffles and funk rhythm.

Root9th3rd5th7th

Root

EBass6th string

FretOpen

Finger—

5th

A5th string

Fret2

Finger2 middle

7th

D4th string

FretOpen

Finger—

3rd

G3rd string

Fret1

Finger1 index

7th

B2nd string

Fret3

Finger4 pinky

9th

e1st string

Fret2

Finger3 ring

NotesE – B – D – G# – F#

Formula1 – 3 – 5 – ♭7 – 9

Voicing020132

TonesE×1·G#×1·B×1·D×2·F#×1

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Questions about E Dominant 9 (E9)

What notes are in a E Dominant 9 (E9) chord?

A E Dominant 9 (E9) chord contains the notes E, B, D, G#, F#. It is built from the dominant 9th formula 1 - 3 - 5 - ♭7 - 9, with E as the root.

Why do blues and funk use E9 so much?

The dominant 9th packs the bluesy tension of a dominant 7th together with the shimmer of the 9th, which sits perfectly in a shuffle or a tight funk groove. E is an especially resonant root on guitar because of the open low E string, so E9 rings fuller than most — which is why it's such a common blues and funk chord.

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