E♭9 chord on ukulele

E♭9 is E♭, G, B♭, D♭ and F. The usual shape is 0-3-1-4. Tap Play, then slow it down.

0-3-1-4 · open · medium

Notes: E♭ · G · B♭ · D♭ · F
Formula: 1 · 3 · 5 · ♭7 · 9
First shape: 0-3-1-4

How to play E♭9 on ukulele

Shape 1, 0-3-1-4, reading from the G string on the left:

Put your index finger on the E string at the 1st fret, which is F.
Put your middle finger on the C string at the 3rd fret, which is E♭.
Put your ring finger on the A string at the 4th fret, which is D♭.
The open G string adds G; don't touch it.

Arch your fingers so their tips come down vertically. That keeps them off the open strings, which have to ring for the chord to sound complete.
A four-fret stretch: drop your wrist a little and point your thumb up the back of the neck.
On ukulele you strum all four strings. The top G string is tuned higher than the C, which is why ukulele chords sound bright and close.

Other ways to play E♭9

8-7-9-8: movable shape at the 7th fret, medium. A high voicing for when the low version is taken by another instrument.

Playing E♭9 with a capo

With a capo you can skip the harder shapes: capo on the 3rd fret and play the open C9 shape (0-2-0-1). Everything above the capo is fingered exactly like the open chord.

Changing from E♭9 to the chords around it

Songs rarely hold E♭9 for long. Here's what your hand does on the moves that come up most.

A♭ (dominant, pulls to the chord a fifth below): E♭9 (0-3-1-4) to A♭ (1-3-4-3): your middle finger stays put, move the index finger to the G string, 1st fret, the ring finger goes to the A string, 3rd fret, the pinky finger comes down on the E string, 4th fret. Listen for E♭, which stays put while the rest moves. A♭ on ukulele
A♭maj7 (I in A♭ major): E♭9 (0-3-1-4) to A♭maj7 (1-3-3-3): your middle finger stays put, the index finger goes to the G string, 1st fret, your ring finger lands on the E string, 3rd fret, the pinky finger comes down on the A string, 3rd fret. Listen for E♭ and G, which stay put while the rest moves. A♭maj7 on ukulele
Fm7 (vi in A♭ major): E♭9 (0-3-1-4) to Fm7 (1-3-1-3): the index finger goes to the G string, 1st fret, move the middle finger to the E string, 1st fret, your ring finger lands on the C string, 3rd fret, the pinky finger comes down on the A string, 3rd fret. Nothing carries over, so drill it slowly, lifting and landing all fingers at once. Listen for E♭ and F, which stay put while the rest moves. Fm7 on ukulele

E♭9 is a dominant ninth: E♭7 with the ninth on top. With four strings, shape 1 leaves out the perfect fifth (B♭); the ear fills it in, and the chord still reads as E♭9. The usual guitar shape, x-x-1-0-2-1, drops B♭ too. Play it once strummed and once picked to hear the difference.

Practice E♭9 in two minutes

Pick shape 1 one string at a time, low to high: G, E♭, F, D♭. Every note should ring clearly; if one thuds, adjust that finger before you strum. Next, alternate 0-3-1-4 and 8-7-9-8, slowly, until the change takes less than a beat.

D♯9 is another spelling of E♭9. Same shape, same sound.

Keys and progressions with E♭9

E♭9 on guitar and piano

E♭9 on guitar and piano uses the same 5 notes in a different layout. See all three together.

Next to try on ukulele

Other dominant ninth chords

E♭9 on ukulele: questions

What notes are in E♭9 on ukulele?

E♭, G, B♭, D♭ and F. In the 0-3-1-4 shape the strings play G (G string, open), E♭ (C string), F (E string) and D♭ (A string).

What's the easiest way to play E♭9 on ukulele?

The friendliest E♭9 shape is 0-3-1-4. It uses 3 fingers and no barre, with open strings, and a capo is worth trying when the song allows.

Is E♭9 a barre chord on ukulele?

Not in its common form: 0-3-1-4 needs no barre.

Which string does E♭9 start on?

In the 0-3-1-4 shape the lowest string you play is the G string, open, which is G, the major third.

Every shape above plays only E♭, G, B♭, D♭ and F, checked by the site's tests. Updated September 2026.