Arpeggio
E 9
Dominant
- Formula
- 1 3 5 ♭7 9
- Notes
- E G♯ B D F♯
Notation
Fretboard — frets 0–24
Degrees
| Degree | Note | Interval | Semitones | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | E | perfect unison | 0 | The root — the tonal centre every other note is heard against; land on it and the sound resolves. |
| 3 | G♯ | major third | 4 | The major third — the bright note that makes a quality major; it defines the chord's colour and pulls gently toward the root. |
| 5 | B | perfect fifth | 7 | The perfect fifth — the root's strongest companion; it anchors every triad and stacked-seventh quality. |
| ♭7 | D | minor seventh | 10 | The minor seventh — the dominant's engine; a whole step under the root, it turns a triad into a 7 chord and drives the resolution. |
| 9 | F♯ | major ninth | 14 | The major ninth — the second degree an octave up; it adds shimmer to maj9, 6/9 and the m9 family without changing the harmony. |
About this arpeggio
The dominant ninth adds a ninth to the dominant seventh, rounding the tritone's bite with a bright top note. The chord still functions as a dominant and still wants to resolve, but the ninth gives it a polished, urban sheen — the sound of funk rhythm guitar, soul horn sections and jazz-blues comping. Because the ninth is consonant against the major third and the seventh, it can sit high in the voicing without clashing. Players often drop the fifth, since the ninth and third already define the colour. Arpeggiated, it is a five-note trip through the upper structure. Listen for the ninth softening the resolution without removing the pull.
How to practise this arpeggio
- Play the ninth on top and hear it round the tritone's bite.
- Compare it with the plain 7 and listen for the polish at the top.
- Omit the fifth and check that the chord still drives.
- Loop it over a funk groove and accent the ninth.