Minor-Major 9th
Em(maj9) is a minor seventh chord rooted on E. It has a dark, mellow, and introspective quality that forms the backbone of minor key harmony in jazz. Minor seventh chords most commonly function as the ii chord in a ii-V-I progression (Levine, The Jazz Theory Book).
18 voicings · minor
Left Hand
Right Hand
Left Hand
Right Hand
Left Hand
Right Hand
Left Hand
Right Hand
Left Hand
Right Hand
Left Hand
Right Hand
Melody (F#5) doubled an octave below (E4) with chord tones in between
Left hand alternates between bass note and chord
Beat 1 & 3 — E3
Beat 2 & 4 — Eb, F#, G
Left hand alternates between bass note and chord
Beat 1 & 3 — B3
Beat 2 & 4 — Eb, F#, G
The minor seventh chord functions as the ii chord in major keys, the i chord in minor keys, or the iii and vi chords in various contexts (Mulholland & Hojnacki, The Berklee Book of Jazz Harmony). As the ii chord, Em(maj9) is the gateway to the V-I resolution — the most common harmonic progression in jazz. Mantooth emphasises practising ii-V-I voicings in all 12 keys as the foundation of jazz keyboard fluency (Voicings for Jazz Keyboard).
Commonly paired with the Dorian mode when functioning as ii — the natural sixth gives it a brighter quality than Aeolian (Aebersold, Jazz Handbook). As a i chord in minor keys, Dorian is also standard, though Aeolian and melodic minor are used depending on context.
Minor seventh chords typically resolve down a fifth to a dominant seventh chord. Em(maj9) commonly moves to a V7 chord a fourth above (Levine, The Jazz Theory Book).
ii-V-I
Em(maj9) as the ii chord, resolving through V7 to Imaj7
Minor ii-V-i
Em(maj9) (or Em7b5) as ii, to V7b9, to im7
Modal vamp
Em(maj9) held as a modal centre in Dorian mode
Em(maj9) is a four-note chord containing E, minor third, perfect fifth, and minor seventh. It creates a warm, dark sound essential to jazz harmony. In Roman numeral analysis, it most often appears as ii (Mulholland & Hojnacki, The Berklee Book of Jazz Harmony).
Common voicings include shell (root, b3, b7), rootless Type A (b3, 5, b7, 9), and rootless Type B (b7, 9, b3, 5). Levine calls these "left-hand voicings" and recommends learning them through the cycle of fifths in all 12 keys (The Jazz Piano Book).
Em is a minor triad (three notes). Em(maj9) adds the minor seventh, creating a four-note chord with a jazzier, more sophisticated sound. In jazz, Em(maj9) is almost always preferred over Em.
The ii-V-I progression is the most common chord progression in jazz. Learning to voice the ii chord smoothly is the first step in jazz piano fluency.
— Mantooth, Voicings for Jazz Keyboard, Ch. 1
Minor seventh chords pair with the Dorian mode. The raised sixth degree distinguishes Dorian from Aeolian and gives the minor chord a brighter quality.
— Aebersold, Jazz Handbook