E♭add9 chord
E♭add9 is E♭, G, B♭ and F: 1–3–5–9 built on E♭. Below: guitar, piano and ukulele, each playable.
On guitar
x-6-5-3-6-x · movable · medium
- Notes
- E♭ · G · B♭ · F
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · 5 · 9
- First shape
- x-6-5-3-6-x
E♭add9 on guitar: every shape, finger by finger
On piano
root position · E♭–G–B♭–F · right hand 1-2-3-5
- Notes
- E♭ · G · B♭ · F
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · 5 · 9
E♭add9 on piano: fingering and inversions
On ukulele
0-3-1-1 · open · easy
- Notes
- E♭ · G · B♭ · F
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · 5 · 9
- First shape
- 0-3-1-1
E♭add9 and the chords around it
The moves below are the ones you'll meet most, shown for guitar and piano.
- E♭add9 → A♭ (IV in E♭ major)
Guitar: E♭add9 (x-6-5-3-6-x) to A♭ (4-6-6-5-4-4): your ring finger stays put, the index finger lays across the low E to high E strings at the 4th fret, the middle finger slides across to the G string at the same fret, the pinky finger goes to the D string, 6th fret. Listen for E♭, which stays put while the rest moves.
Piano: E♭add9 to A♭: play A♭ in 2nd inversion (E♭–A♭–C) and E♭ stays under the same finger, while G moves up to A♭ and B♭ up to C. A♭ - E♭add9 → B♭ (V in E♭ major)
Guitar: E♭add9 (x-6-5-3-6-x) to B♭ (x-1-3-3-3-1): the index finger lays across the A to high E strings at the 1st fret, your middle finger lands on the D string, 3rd fret, the ring finger goes to the G string, 3rd fret. Nothing carries over, so drill it slowly, lifting and landing all fingers at once. Shared notes: B♭ and F.
Piano: E♭add9 to B♭: play B♭ in root position (B♭–D–F) and B♭ and F stay under the same fingers, while G moves up to D. B♭ - E♭add9 → Cm (vi in E♭ major)
Guitar: E♭add9 (x-6-5-3-6-x) to Cm (x-3-1-0-1-3): the index finger goes to the D string, 1st fret, the middle finger goes to the B string, 1st fret, your ring finger lands on the A string, 3rd fret. Nothing carries over, so drill it slowly, lifting and landing all fingers at once. E♭ and G carry over from one chord to the other.
Piano: E♭add9 to Cm: play Cm in 1st inversion (E♭–G–C) and E♭ and G stay under the same fingers, while B♭ moves up to C. Cm
Guitar with a capo: capo 3, Cadd9 shape. Ukulele with a capo: capo 3, Cadd9 shape.
How E♭add9 is built
E♭add9 is E♭ major with the ninth (the note a whole step above the root, an octave up) added. It keeps the bright major sound and adds a shimmer; guitarists love it because the open shapes ring.
Start on E♭, count 4 half steps up to G, 3 half steps up to B♭ then 7 half steps up to F. D♯add9 is the other spelling of the same chord.
| Note | Role | Half steps | Hear it |
|---|---|---|---|
| E♭ | root | 0 | |
| G | major third | 4 | |
| B♭ | perfect fifth | 7 | |
| F | ninth | 14 |
Keys and progressions with E♭add9
No major or natural minor key contains E♭add9 as one of its own chords; it turns up as a passing chord on the way somewhere else.
Chords close to E♭add9
Chords that share most of their notes with E♭add9: E♭9, E♭, E♭sus2, B♭sus4, Cm7, E♭7.
Every E♭ chord
E♭add9 chord: questions
What notes are in the E♭add9 chord?
E♭, G, B♭ and F. E♭add9 is built 1–3–5–9 from E♭: G is the major third, B♭ is the perfect fifth and F is the ninth.
How do you play E♭add9 on guitar?
The usual shape is x-6-5-3-6-x (movable). All 3 guitar shapes.
How do you play E♭add9 on piano?
Play E♭, G, B♭ and F with right-hand fingers 1-2-3-5. E♭ sits on the black key between D and E. Inversions and left hand.
How do you play E♭add9 on ukulele?
0-3-1-1 in standard GCEA tuning. More ukulele shapes.
What key is E♭add9 in?
No major or natural minor key contains E♭add9 as one of its own chords; it turns up as a passing chord on the way somewhere else.
What's the difference between E♭add9 and E♭?
E♭add9 is E♭ plus F.
Every diagram on this page is generated from the notes E♭, G, B♭ and F and checked automatically so the sound matches the drawing. Updated September 2026.