E Minor 9th (Em9)
Notes in E Minor 9th
Inversions
Same notes as E Minor 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
2nd inversion
B in the bass
3rd inversion
D in the bass
4th inversion
F# in the bass
Open voicings
A close-position chord like E Minor 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
Press E, G, B, D and F# together on the keyboard and you're playing E Minor 9th.
A minor seventh chord with a ninth added softens the mood even further into something smooth and atmospheric. Jazz, R&B and lo-fi styles all reach for it whenever a minor chord needs to feel rich rather than sparse.