E♭add9 chord on ukulele
E♭add9 is E♭, G, B♭ and F. The easiest shape is 0-3-1-1. Play it once at full speed, then at a quarter to hear every note.
0-3-1-1 · open · easy
- Notes
- E♭ · G · B♭ · F
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · 5 · 9
- First shape
- 0-3-1-1
How to play E♭add9 on ukulele
Shape 1, 0-3-1-1, reading from the G string on the left:
- F: index finger, 1st fret of the E string.
- B♭: middle finger, 1st fret of the A string.
- E♭: ring finger, 3rd fret of the C string.
- Leave the G string open: G.
- Arch your fingers so their tips come down vertically. That keeps them off the open strings, which have to ring for the chord to sound complete.
- On ukulele you strum all four strings. The top G string is tuned higher than the C, which is why ukulele chords sound bright and close.
Other ways to play E♭add9
- 8-7-6-8: movable shape at the 6th fret, medium. A different set of strings gives a different color of the same chord.
- 10-10-11-10: movable shape at the 10th fret, medium. Higher up the neck it sounds brighter; handy when another guitar is already playing a lower shape.
Capo shortcuts for E♭add9
A capo turns an open chord into E♭add9: capo on the 3rd fret and play the open Cadd9 shape (0-2-0-3). Handy when the rest of the song's chords also have open shapes in that position.
Moving between E♭add9 and its neighbours
These are the changes you'll meet most often with E♭add9, using the first shape of each chord.
- A♭ (IV in E♭ major): E♭add9 (0-3-1-1) to A♭ (1-3-4-3): the index finger goes to the G string, 1st fret, your middle finger lands on the C string, 3rd fret, move the ring finger to the A string, 3rd fret, the pinky finger comes down on the E string, 4th fret. No finger can stay, so practice lifting all of them together and landing the new shape as a unit. The two chords share E♭, which is why the change sounds smooth. A♭ on ukulele
- B♭ (V in E♭ major): E♭add9 (0-3-1-1) to B♭ (3-2-1-1): your index and middle fingers stay put, the ring finger goes to the C string, 2nd fret, the pinky finger comes down on the G string, 3rd fret. Listen for B♭ and F, which stay put while the rest moves. B♭ on ukulele
- Cm (vi in E♭ major): E♭add9 (0-3-1-1) to Cm (0-3-3-3): the index finger goes to the C string, 3rd fret, the middle finger goes to the E string, 3rd fret, your ring finger lands on the A string, 3rd fret. Everything moves: lift the whole hand and place the new shape in one go. Shared notes: E♭ and G. Cm on ukulele
E♭add9 is E♭ major with the ninth (the note a whole step above the root, an octave up) added. All 4 notes of E♭add9 fit on the ukulele's four strings. The slow arpeggio button above makes that quality easy to hear.
Practice E♭add9 in two minutes
Arpeggiate 0-3-1-1 from the lowest string: G, E♭, F, B♭. Then strum it and listen for the same 4 notes together. Next, alternate 0-3-1-1 and 8-7-6-8, slowly, until the change takes less than a beat.
You may also see it as D♯add9; nothing changes on the ukulele.
E♭add9 in context
E♭add9 on guitar and piano
E♭add9 on guitar and piano uses the same 4 notes in a different layout. See all three together.
Related E♭ chords on ukulele
Other add 9 chords
E♭add9 on ukulele: questions
What notes are in E♭add9 on ukulele?
E♭, G, B♭ and F. In the 0-3-1-1 shape the strings play G (G string, open), E♭ (C string), F (E string) and B♭ (A string).
What's the easiest way to play E♭add9 on ukulele?
0-3-1-1, the first shape on this page. Open strings do part of the work, so no barre.
Is E♭add9 a barre chord on ukulele?
Not in its common form: 0-3-1-1 needs no barre.
Which string does E♭add9 start on?
In the 0-3-1-1 shape the lowest string you play is the G string, open, which is G, the major third.
Checked automatically: no shape here plays a note outside E♭add9. Updated September 2026.