9th guitar chords
A 9th chord is a dominant 7th chord with the ninth added on top. It is the standard chord of funk and of jazz-blues.
How 9th chords are built
The formula is 1–3–5–♭7–9: the root, the major third, the perfect fifth, the minor seventh and the ninth, counted from the root’s major scale. In C9 that gives C · E · G · B♭ · D.
All 12 9th chords on guitar
Fingerings read from the low E string to the high E string. x = not played, 0 = open. 6 of the twelve main shapes are easy, 4 medium and 2 hard.
| Chord | Notes | Fingering | Position | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C9 | C E G B♭ D | 332333 | 2nd fret | Medium |
| Db9 | D♭ F A♭ C♭ E♭ | 443444 | 3rd fret | Medium |
| D9 | D F♯ A C E | 554555 | 4th fret | Medium |
| Eb9 | E♭ G B♭ D♭ F | xx1021 | open position | Easy |
| E9 | E G♯ B D F♯ | 020102 | open position | Easy |
| F9 | F A C E♭ G | 131213 | barre chord, 1st fret | Hard |
| Gb9 | G♭ B♭ D♭ F♭ A♭ | 242324 | barre chord, 2nd fret | Hard |
| G9 | G B D F A | 300001 | open position | Easy |
| Ab9 | A♭ C E♭ G♭ B♭ | 43434x | 3rd fret | Medium |
| A9 | A C♯ E G B | 542000 | open position | Easy |
| Bb9 | B♭ D F A♭ C | x10111 | open position | Easy |
| B9 | B D♯ F♯ A C♯ | x21222 | 1st fret | Easy |
9th chord diagrams
- C93323333 fingerings · medium
- D95545554 fingerings · medium
- E90201024 fingerings · easy
- F91312134 fingerings · hard
- G93000014 fingerings · easy
- A95420004 fingerings · easy
Where 9th chords appear in a key
In a major key, a dominant 9th chord fits on the V degree of the scale. For example, C9 is the V chord in F major.