chord question: Em9 = Em7(add9)?

Here's something I've been wondering about...

is a minor 7 add9 chord the same as a m9 chord? For example.. is Em7(add9) the same as an Em9 chord? Because if there is a 9 without it saying "add9" then it implies that a 7th is there as well, right?

your question is a tricky one, as there is no right or wrong answer
Depending on who you are going to talk to, they might play the 7 or not, or make the 9 a second(one octave lower) in jazz, there are no rules for this, and if there are, they are constantly broken...
As for playing the 7 or not, just trust your ears, it might had something to your song, or might take something away...

So essentially they are the same chord, except sometimes an Em9 chord will not contain the seventh, making it just an Em(add9)... correct?

yes that's it

A lot of times when they say E-7add9 they want you to put the 9th in the melody

Originally posted by James
Here's something I've been wondering about...

is a minor 7 add9 chord the same as a m9 chord? For example.. is Em7(add9) the same as an Em9 chord? Because if there is a 9 without it saying "add9" then it implies that a 7th is there as well, right?

I believe a 9th chord is called such because you're adding the 2nd and 7th tones of the scale to the chord. 2+7=9

For an add9 chord, you add the second tone (I guess it's called a 9 because it's an octave up) to the chord. But if you already have a 7th in the chord, as with a minor7th, you'd be making a 9th.

So yes, they are basically the same thing. Just look at your fingerings for playing these chords, and you'll see that you're playing the same notes, but in a different order.

The order of the notes is everything. Usually when you play the m7add9 the 2nd and 3rd tones are right next to each other, giving it the dark, airy sound. (cluster chord!!!!) For minor9th fingerings the notes aren't together.