C#m69

C#m69 is C#, E, G#, A# and D#, a minor six-nine. The shape this page opens on is written x41320, lowest string first.

Note by note. C# is the root, E is the minor third, G# is the fifth, A# is the sixth and D# is the ninth.

Also written C#m6/9, C#min6/9 or C#-6/9. The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 9 common shapes for C#m69 on the guitar, and 37 derived voicings in 4 families.

One note away. Change a single note of C#m69 and you have C#m6 (with one note taken away), C#m9 (with one note moved), C#mMaj9 (with one note moved), C#madd9 (with one note taken away) or C#69 (with one note moved).

In which keys. Every note of C#m69 belongs to Ab minor (the iv) and B major (the ii).

The common shapes, written lowest string first: x41320, x4234x, 9788x0, x78899, 9-x-8-9-9-11, 9-x-11-9-11-11, x-x-11-9-11-11, x-11-11-9-11-11, 12-11-11-13-11-11.

Under the hand. 1 of the 9 shapes here sits in open position, and the first uses 1 open string with 1 left unplayed. 5 of the 9 need a barre. Together they cover the neck from the 1st fret to the 13th.

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. C#m69 has x4234x, 9788xx, x-x-11-9-11-11.

Drop 2. A close-position chord with the second voice from the top lowered an octave. Sits on four adjacent strings. C#m69 has xx1320, x4234x, 9788xx, x-x-11-9-11-11, 0413xx, xx2646, 6626xx, x6865x.

Drop 3. The third voice from the top lowered an octave. The dropped voice becomes the bass, which is why a string is skipped. C#m69 has 0x132x, 6x264x, x4x340, x6x656, 9x885x, x-7-x-8-11-9, 11-x-11-9-11-x, 12-x-13-15-14-x.

Rootless. The root left to the bass player. Frees a finger for a tension. C#m69 has xx2344, x7889x, x-x-13-13-11-12, x1214x, x1x140, x6635x, x6x354, xx6856.

Tensions. A shell of C#m69, root, third and seventh, leaves a string free, and the tones that belong over it are the 11 (F#).

What kind of chord this is. C#m69 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.