C9 guitar chord

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About C9

C9 keeps the dominant notes of and includes the : C, E, G, Bb and D. A plain 9 chord includes the flat 7th.

The major 3rd and flat 7th still identify the dominant. The 9th can carry the upper line into the next chord.

Also written Cdom9 or C dominant 9.

C9 guitar chord diagram: C, E, G, Bb, D, played x3233x
C9 guitar chord voicing: x-3-2-3-3-x.

How to use C9

1In place of a V7

V in F major

C9 goes wherever a dominant seventh goes; the ninth is only an added colour. When the chord resolves, the ninth does what the seventh does and falls a step.

Compare with

Listen for: The ninth falls a whole step to the fifth of the I. On the plain seventh chord that string plays the root, which just holds.

In which keys. Every note of C9 belongs to D minor and F major.

What to play over C9

Useful scales

  • +FA

    Contains C9 and adds eleventh and thirteenth.

  • +F#A

    Adds sharp eleventh and thirteenth, for a dominant sharp-eleventh color.

Every scale

Chords near C9

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Dominant seventh chords on every root

The common shapes and the derived voicings come from different places, and both are explained in how this site is built.

Midi Settings

7.5
Play Style
One pass of the pick from the lowest string up, everything left ringing.
Instrument
350
150

Style

Shows each chord the way this style would voice it, and marks which of its alternatives belong to the idiom.

Layout

Left Handed Mode