E Major 9th (Emaj9)
Notes in E Major 9th
Inversions
Same notes as E Major 9th, with a different chord tone as the lowest note. Useful for smoother movement between chords instead of jumping around the keyboard.
Root position
E in the bass
1st inversion
G# in the bass (Emaj9/G#)
2nd inversion
B in the bass (Emaj9/B)
3rd inversion
D# in the bass (Emaj9/D#)
4th inversion
F# in the bass (Emaj9/F#)
Open voicings
A close-position chord like E Major 9th can sound cluttered in the middle of the keyboard. Jazz players open it up by dropping one note down an octave, spreading the same notes wider without changing the chord.
Drop 2
D# on the bottom
Drop 3
B on the bottom
E Major 9th is built from E, G#, B, D# and F#.
A major seventh chord with a ninth stacked above it, lush and warm with almost no built-in tension. It's a favorite opening or closing chord in jazz and neo-soul, prized for sounding sophisticated while still feeling completely at rest.