Map it slowly
Find E on string 5 at fret 7. Play string 5, fret 7; string 5, fret 9; string 5, fret 11; string 4, fret 9; string 3, fret 7. Use a relaxed position and release pressure between repetitions. String 1 is high E.
Arpeggio · E9 · Guitar
E9 arpeggio on guitar
The E9 arpeggio is E – G♯ – B – D – F♯ — chord tones 1 3 5 ♭7 9. E9 is a fuller V chord; the 9th sits on top of the dominant seventh; its sound is rich, bluesy. Below, every E, G♯, B, D, F♯ on the fretboard is marked, with the root in gold. Press play to hear a one-octave arpeggio, or tap any note.
Visualizer
E9 on the fretboard.
Guitar · standard tuning
Piano
RootChord toneBeing played
Tempo100 bpm
Show
Sound
Play loops the arpeggio up and down one octave (switch Loop off for a single pass) in the position starting at fret 7. Tap any marked note to hear it. “Show” switches or combines the fretboard and keyboard; “Sound” picks the instrument you hear. Audio is synthesized in the browser.
Your next 10 minutes
Make E Dominant 9th part of your playing
Make a short phrase
Play E – G♯ – B – D – F♯ in quarter notes at 60 bpm. Repeat starting from G♯, wrapping back to E. Do not speed up until every attack is even.
Hear it in context
Alternate G♯ and D above a sustained E. These are degree 3 and ♭7. End a four-bar phrase on either one instead of always returning to the root.
Listen for this: E9 has the colour “rich, bluesy”. Name the degrees as you play, so you can recognize the sound in another key rather than remembering only a shape.
Understand the sound
E9: from a pattern to a musical choice
What gives E9 its identity?
A ninth extends the dominant seventh; it does not replace the third or seventh. Start with those guide tones, then add the ninth above them.
Here the third is G♯, and degree ♭7 is D. Play E in the bass and compare these voices individually before combining them.
Turn the arpeggio into a melody
Try G♯ – B – D – E as quarter notes, then repeat the first note and omit the last. The second phrase uses the same harmony with a different shape.
Sound the strings separately before playing them together. If a note is muted, adjust the finger angle instead of squeezing harder.
Your guitar checkpoint
Start with E on string 5, fret 7. The next note G♯ is on string 5, fret 9. Name both notes aloud before playing, then find the same two pitches in another octave.
Before moving on, close the diagram and name the notes: E · G♯ · B · D · F♯. Then play a two-bar phrase from memory and leave two bars of silence.
On piano
E9 on the keyboard.
Reference
E9 — chord tones & intervals.
| Chord tone | Note | Interval from E |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | E | unison (0 semitones) |
| 3 | G♯ | major 3rd (4 semitones) |
| 5 | B | perfect 5th (7 semitones) |
| ♭7 | D | minor 7th (10 semitones) |
| 9 | F♯ | major 9th (14 semitones) |
Goes with: E Mixolydian (E F♯ G♯ A B C♯ D). Voicings: see the four-note chord voicings in the chord library.
Take it to the bandstand.Practice Radio streams endless changes to play the E9 arpeggio over through all twelve keys, with the chord and scale shown live — plus ear-training and call & response modes.
▶ Open Practice RadioCommon questions
E9 arpeggio FAQ.
What notes are in a E9 arpeggio?
E – G♯ – B – D – F♯. As chord tones: 1 3 5 ♭7 9. Played one after another instead of together, that is the arpeggio.
What is a E9 chord used for?
E9 is a fuller V chord; the 9th sits on top of the dominant seventh. Its character is rich, bluesy.
Which scale goes with E9?
E Mixolydian (E F♯ G♯ A B C♯ D) — the arpeggio is the skeleton of that scale, so practise them together.
How do I practise the E9 arpeggio on guitar?
Start on the root E on the A string at fret 7 and play A-string fret 7, A-string fret 9, A-string fret 11, D-string fret 9, G-string fret 7, G-string fret 9. Then play it descending, then in eighth notes with a metronome, then use it in a short phrase over a suitable chord.
Keep going
Dominant 9th arpeggio in every other key.
Same arpeggio on piano · Dominant 9th hub · chord-scale theory.
Other arpeggios from E