E Six-Nine Chord (E6/9)

1Composition: what it contains

E – G♯ – B – C♯ – F♯

Symbol

E6/9

Also written

E6/9, E69, E6add9

Formula

1 3 5 6 9

2Appearance: diagrams and sound

On the guitar

On the ukulele

On the piano

On the staff

On bass and as an arpeggio

3Indications: what it is used for

A tonic major chord in jazz, bossa nova, funk, soul and gospel, often used as the final chord of a tune or in place of a major seventh on I. Its pentatonic content (1-2-3-5-6) makes it extremely consonant and lets the melody move freely. Guitarists use the four-string quartal shape on top strings; pianists use it in spread voicings. It can also replace a major triad on IV. Its quartal shape also makes it a favourite for planing, sliding the same voicing up and down.

4Dosage: how to practise it

On guitar, learn the shape rooted on the fifth string (with the ninth and sixth on the higher strings) and the shape rooted on the sixth string; practise moving them chromatically. On piano, play the root and fifth in the left hand with 3-6-9 in the right, and practise the voicing in all keys. Practise ii7–V7–I6/9 at 80–140 BPM. Five minutes daily. Try ending tunes on a 6/9 instead of a plain major chord and compare the effect. Practise the quartal guitar shape slid chromatically into the target chord.

5Warnings and common mistakes

Do not confuse 6/9 with a slash chord: the slash in '6/9' is part of the chord name, not a bass note. It has no seventh, so it is not a thirteenth chord. On guitar, the shape often omits the fifth, which is fine. Avoid placing the sixth and ninth in a low register where they sound muddy. If the melody holds the major seventh, choose maj7 or maj9 instead.

6Interactions with chords, scales and keys

Inversions

• Inversion 1 · E6/9/G♯ · G♯ – B – C♯ – F♯ – E Play
• Inversion 2 · E6/9/B · B – C♯ – F♯ – E – G♯ Play
• Inversion 3 · E6/9/C♯ · C♯ – F♯ – E – G♯ – B Play
• Inversion 4 · E6/9/F♯ · F♯ – E – G♯ – B – C♯ Play

Scales to play over E6/9

• E Major Scale
• E Lydian Mode
• E Mixolydian Mode
• E Major Pentatonic Scale
• E Major Blues Scale
• E Lydian Dominant Scale
• E Bebop Dominant Scale

7Other presentations available

The same chord from every note

C6/9 C♯6/9 D6/9 E♭6/9 F6/9 F♯6/9 G6/9 A♭6/9 A6/9 B♭6/9 B6/9

Other chords on E

E Em Edim Eaug Esus2 Esus4 E5 E6 Em6 E7 Emaj7 Em7 Em7♭5 Edim7 Em(maj7) E7sus4 Eadd9 Em(add9) E9 Emaj9 Em9 E11 Em11 E13 E7♭9 E7♯9 E7♯5 E7♭5