E minor sixth, added ninth
How to play Em6/9 — Minor sixth, added ninth
Em6/9 (Minor sixth, added ninth)E · G · B · C♯ · F♯
Guitar samples: Acoustic guitar — University of Iowa (via tonejs-instruments, CC-BY 3.0)
E minor sixth, added ninth — notes and structure
The Em6/9 chord is a minor sixth chord with an added ninth — smooth and modern.
The Em6/9 minor sixth, added ninth consists of the notes E, G, B, C♯, F♯. Its interval structure is R–3–5–6–9 — the root, then each chord tone stacked above it. This is the same chord you see in the interactive finder above, drawn on the guitar fretboard with the root circled and every chord tone labelled.
Em6/9 stacks a minor third (G), a perfect fifth (B), a major sixth (C♯) and a ninth (F♯) above the root E.
The finder shows 2 ways to play Em6/9 — an open-position shape reaching up to the 7th fret. None of them need a barre.
What key is Em6/9 in?
Every note of Em6/9 belongs to the scales below, so the chord sounds at home in each of these keys — the roman numeral is the degree it sits on.
- D major — the ii chord
- B minor — the iv chord
Chords that go with Em6/9
In D major, the chords built on the first, fourth and fifth degrees carry most songs — put Em6/9 next to these:
Frequently asked questions
- What notes are in the E minor sixth, added ninth chord?
- The Em6/9 chord contains the notes E, G, B, C♯, F♯. It is a minor sixth chord with an added ninth — smooth and modern.
- How many ways can you play Em6/9 on guitar?
- 2 voicings are shown on this page — from open position up the neck — each with its own fingering diagram and audio.
- Is Em6/9 a hard chord to play?
- It is fairly beginner-friendly — there is an open-position shape and none of the voicings need a barre.
- What key does Em6/9 belong to?
- Em6/9 fits D major (where it is the ii chord), B minor (where it is the iv chord) — every note of the chord is in those scales.