Cmmaj9

CmMaj9 is C, Eb, G, B and D, a minor major ninth. The shape this page opens on is written x30443, lowest string first.

Note by note. C is the root, Eb is the minor third, G is the fifth, B is the major seventh and D is the ninth.

Also written CmM9, Cm(maj9) or C-Δ9. The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 8 common shapes for CmMaj9 on the guitar, and 29 derived voicings in 5 families.

One note away. Change a single note of CmMaj9 and you have Cmaj9 (with one note moved), Cm69 (with one note moved), Cm9 (with one note moved), CmMaj7 (with one note taken away), CmMaj11 (with one note added) or Cmadd9 (with one note taken away).

The common shapes, written lowest string first: x30443, x3143x, 365433, 86x708, 86x787, 8697xx, 8-10-9-8-8-10, 10-10-10-12-12-11.

Under the hand. 1 of the 8 shapes here sits in open position, and the first uses 1 open string with 1 left unplayed. 3 of the 8 need a barre. Together they cover the neck from the 1st fret to the 12th.

Shell. Root, third and seventh: the guide tones fix the quality, so the fifth is dropped. That is what leaves a string free, so pick a tension to put on top. CmMaj9 has x3143x, 8697xx, x-x-10-8-12-10.

Drop 2. A close-position chord with the second voice from the top lowered an octave. Sits on four adjacent strings. CmMaj9 has x3143x, 8697xx, x-x-10-8-12-10, x5954x, xx9748.

Drop 3. The third voice from the top lowered an octave. The dropped voice becomes the bass, which is why a string is skipped. CmMaj9 has x5x547, 10-x-10-8-12-x, 8x974x.

Rootless. The root left to the bass player. Frees a finger for a tension. CmMaj9 has x2103x, x5544x, x-x-9-8-8-10, x-x-12-12-12-11, xx1433, x5x443, xx5747, x6978x.

Open string. An open string left ringing against a fretted grip. Because it costs no finger, it sounds a note the closed shape has none left for -- a tension on top, or a pedal root underneath. Either a familiar grip with open strings added, or a shape so sparse the open strings carry the chord. These belong to their key rather than to a shape, so D, A, G and E have many and Eb a handful. CmMaj9 has 7600xx, x2004x, 36000x, xx0047, 7x004x.

Tensions. A shell of CmMaj9, root, third and seventh, leaves a string free, and the tones that belong over it are the 11 (F) and the 13 (A).

What kind of chord this is. CmMaj9 is a minor chord — root, minor third, fifth. minor chords on every root, and what they are for.

The common shapes and the derived voicings come from different places, and both are explained in where the chords and the theory come from.