Chord library / Open E

Eadd9 Left-Handed Guitar Chord Chart

Compare three playable shapes in Open E tuning, check each string and practise one clean chord change.

Start here

Learn Shape 1 first

Eadd9 uses the notes E, F#, G#, B. This left-handed chord chart puts the shape in your playing orientation. Tune to Open E before trying these shapes; the string labels on each chart show the tuning used.

Three playable chord shapes

All three charts use Open E tuning. Compare the named shapes and their fret positions, then choose the one that fits your chord change. The shapes shown are alternatives, not a progression.

Tuning, lowest to highest: E – B – E – G# – B – E. Chord names describe the notes that sound in this tuning.

Shape 1

Open-string voicing

E Add9, Open E tuning — Open-string voicing

Shape 2

Compact voicing · fret 12

E Add9, Open E tuning — Compact voicing · fret 12

Shape 3

Compact voicing · fret 9

E Add9, Open E tuning — Compact voicing · fret 9

What you are playing

Chord notes: E, F#, G#, B. Standard tablature stays unchanged, so you can use the same note order as any mainstream lesson or transcription.

The diagram labels use sharp note names. Equivalent names such as D# and Eb identify the same fret; a theory book may use the flat spelling for the same pitch.

Practise it for ten minutes

Form the shape without strumming, check each intended string, then release and rebuild it five times before practising slow four-beat changes.

  • Shape Type: This is an open-position voicing, so the nut and open-string markers matter as much as the fretted notes.
  • String Check: Let B (string 2), G# (string 3), E (string 4), B (string 5) and E (string 6) ring open, fret E (string 1) at fret 2.
  • Grip Control: Let the extension sing without over-gripping the shape; the more relaxed the hand, the better the voicing blooms.
  • Next Scale: The quickest lead connection from this chord is E Major. Start there if you want the page to turn into a chord-to-scale practice loop.

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