Understand and Play the C9 Guitar Chord
The C9 chord, or C dominant ninth, is spelled C, E, G, Bb and D. Start with C7 (C, E, G, Bb) and stack a major ninth on top: the D, which is the second note of the scale placed an octave higher.
Nine voicings are listed and five of them use a barre; none leaves a string open, and the lowest is at the 2nd fret. The C Mixolydian scale contains all five notes, so it is the natural scale for phrases over this chord.
Press play on the fretboard and hear C9 strummed, then as an arpeggio.
C dominant 9th guitar chord is also written as C9, Cdom9, C7(9) or C7add9.
C9 Chord Notes and Formula
C 9 chord Notes:
Tones in the Dominant Ninth chord:
Formula: 1 3 5 b7 9
C9 Chord Interactive Fretboard
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C9 Guitar Chord Diagrams
Position 1 Movable
C Dominant Ninth Finger Positions
- Mute the low E string
- Mute the high E string
- Place your index finger (1) on the fret 2 of the D string
- Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 3 of the A string
- Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 3 of the G string
- Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 3 of the B string
Position 2 Movable Slash Chord
C/E Dominant Ninth Finger Positions
- Mute the low E string
- Mute the high E string
- Place your index finger (1) on the fret 7 of the A string
- Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 7 of the G string
- Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 8 of the D string
- Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 8 of the B string
The lowest note is E, not the root, so this voicing is the slash chord C9/E.
Position 3 Movable Slash Chord
C/Bb Dominant Ninth Finger Positions
- Mute the low E string
- Mute the A string
- Place your index finger (1) on the fret 7 of the G string
- Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 8 of the D string
- Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 8 of the B string
- Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 8 of the high E string
The lowest note is Bb, not the root, so this voicing is the slash chord C9/Bb.
Position 4 Barre Movable
C Dominant Ninth Finger Positions
- Mute the low E string
- Place your index finger (1) on the fret 2 of the D string
- Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 3 of the A string
- Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 3 of the G, B and high E strings at the same time
Position 5 Barre Movable
C Dominant Ninth Finger Positions
- Mute the low E string
- Place your index finger (1) on the fret 14 of the D string
- Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 15 of the A string
- Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 15 of the G, B and high E strings at the same time
Position 6 Barre Movable
C Dominant Ninth Finger Positions
- Mute the low E string
- Mute the A string
- Place your index finger (1) on the fret 10 of the D and high E strings at the same time
- Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 11 of the B string
- Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 12 of the G string
Position 7 Barre Movable Slash Chord
C/G Dominant Ninth Finger Positions
- Mute the A string
- Place your index finger (1) on the fret 2 of the D string
- Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 3 of the low E string
- Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 3 of the G, B and high E strings at the same time
The lowest note is G, not the root, so this voicing is the slash chord C9/G.
Position 8 Barre Movable
C Dominant Ninth Finger Positions
- Mute the high E string
- Place your index finger (1) on the fret 7 of the A and G strings at the same time
- Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 8 of the low E string
- Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 8 of the D string
- Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 8 of the B string
Position 9 Movable
C Dominant Ninth Finger Positions
- Mute the low E string
- Mute the A string
- Place your index finger (1) on the fret 9 of the G string
- Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 10 of the D string
- Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 10 of the high E string
- Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 11 of the B string
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Chords That Go With C9
One key where C9 fits is F major, where it works as the V chord. These are the main chords of that key, the ones you will often hear around it:
See every key in the guitar keys chart, or build a progression with these chords in the chord progression generator.
More C Chords
Want to know how this chord is built? Read ninth and add9 chords explained, or browse all C guitar chords.
Created by
Giancarlo is a musician (teaching guitar since 2000), software engineer, AI consultant and published researcher
FAQ
What notes are in C9?
C9 is C, E, G, Bb and D. It is C7 plus a D, the major ninth over the root.
How does C9 differ from C7?
C7 has C, E, G and Bb. C9 keeps them and adds the D, a major ninth over the root, which is the second degree of the C scale one octave up.
Which scale can I play over C dominant ninth?
C Mixolydian is C, D, E, F, G, A and Bb. All five chord notes belong to it, and D is the ninth.
How many C9 voicings are there?
There are 9 voicings, between fret 2 and fret 15. Five of them are barre voicings and none uses an open string.
What is the interval between the Bb and the D in C9?
Bb to D is a major third. Those two notes are the flat seventh and the ninth of C9, so they sit close together in the upper part of the chord.
