Cmaj9 guitar chord

C major 9th · CM9

The Cmaj9 guitar chord is played x30000 in open position. Its notes are C, E, G, B and D.

Cmaj9 open chord (x30000)

Fingering: x30000
Fingers: – 3 – – – –
Difficulty: Easy
Position: open position

Cmaj9 chord at the 2nd fret (33243x)

Fingering: 33243x
Fingers: 2 2 1 4 3 –
Difficulty: Medium
Position: 2nd fret

Cmaj9 chord at the 5th fret (055557)

Fingering: 055557
Fingers: – 1 1 1 1 3
Difficulty: Easy
Position: 5th fret

Cmaj9 barre chord, 8th fret (8-x-9-9-8-10)

Fingering: 8-x-9-9-8-10
Fingers: 1 – 2 3 1 4
Difficulty: Hard
Position: barre chord, 8th fret

PNG PDF

Notes in the C major 9th chord

The Cmaj9 chord is made of C · E · G · B · D. Its formula is 1–3–5–7–9.

Note	Degree	Interval from C
C	1	root
E	3	major third
G	5	perfect fifth
B	7	major seventh
D	9	ninth

How to play the Cmaj9 guitar chord

Put your third finger on the 3rd fret of the A string.
Let the D, G, B and high E strings ring open.
Strum from the A string down and leave the low E string out.

That is the open-position shape, x30000. It is rated easy: 1 finger, 5 strings.

Why your Cmaj9 chord buzzes or sounds muted

The open D string sits next to a fretted string. Arch your fingers so only the fingertips touch, or that string will sound dead.

Low E string is not part of this Cmaj9 shape. Start your strum on the A string, or rest your thumb on the unused string to keep it quiet.

Cmaj9 barre chord

Cmaj9 has 1 barre shape here: 8-x-9-9-8-10 (barre at the 8th fret).

A barre shape has no open strings, so it moves. Slide it up one fret and you are playing C#maj9 (Dbmaj9).

Cmaj9 open chord

The open Cmaj9 chord is x30000. It uses the open D, G, B and high E strings, which is why it rings longer than the shapes higher up the neck.

Keys with the Cmaj9 chord

Cmaj9 is the I chord in C major and IV chord in G major. In minor keys it is the III chord in A minor and VI chord in E minor.

All major 9th guitar chords