Em9 piano chord — the keys, the inversions, the theory
Em9 is a minor ninth chord built from E, G, B, D, F#. Below: the keys to press, every inversion with its own diagram, the intervals it is made of, the keys whose scale contains it, and a progression that actually uses it. Press any diagram to hear it.
Em9
E · G · B · D · F#
Semitones above the root: 0 – 3 – 7 – 10 – 14
The third is minor — one semitone lower than in a major chord — which is where the darker colour comes from.
Inversions of Em9
Root position
E · G · B · D · F# · bass E
Inversion 1
G · B · D · E · F# · bass G
Inversion 2
B · D · E · F# · G · bass B
Inversion 3
D · E · F# · G · B · bass D
Same chord, different note at the bottom. Press a diagram to hear it — inversions are how you move between chords without jumping your hand across the keyboard.
Keys that contain Em9
- Gvi
- Dii
In G it does this job: I – V – vi – IV
- G
- D
- Em9
- C