Guitar UpscaleDominant 9th Chord (9) on guitar
A dominant 9th chord adds the ninth to a dominant 7th chord, the classic funk and blues chord.
| Written as | C9 |
|---|---|
| Formula | 1 3 5 b7 9 |
| Notes in C9 | C E G Bb D |
| Semitones from the root | 0, 4, 7, 10, 14 |
About the Dominant 9th Chord
C9 is C, E, G, Bb and D.
James Brown style funk rhythm parts often sit on one 9 chord. In a blues, a 9 chord on the IV gives a jazzier sound.
The usual guitar shape has its root on the A string and leaves out the 5th.
Intervals
- 1: Root, 0 semitones above the root
- 3: Major 3rd, 4 semitones above the root
- 5: Perfect 5th, 7 semitones above the root
- b7: Minor 7th, 10 semitones above the root
- 9: 9th, 14 semitones above the root
Dominant 9th Chord charts in all 12 keys
Each chart shows the strings from the thick low E on the left to the thin high e on the right. Numbers in the dots are fingers: 1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring, 4 little, T thumb. × marks a muted string and ○ an open one. A bar across strings is a barre.
C9: C E G Bb D
G9: G B D F A
D9: D F# A C E
A9: A C# E G B
E9: E G# B D F#
B9: B D# F# A C#
F#9: F# A# C# E G#
Db9: Db F Ab Cb Eb
Ab9: Ab C Eb Gb Bb
Eb9: Eb G Bb Db F
Bb9: Bb D F Ab C
F9: F A C Eb G
Scales to play over C9
Each of these scales, started on the root of C9, holds every note of the chord:
- C Lydian Minor scale
- C Dominant Pentatonic scale
- C Mixolydian Mode
- C Taishikicho scale
- C Hindu scale
- C Bebop Minor scale
- C Bebop Dominant scale
- C Overtone scale
- C Ten Tone Dominant scale
- C Ten Tone Harmonic scale