C9 chord
C9 is C, E, G, B♭ and D: 1–3–5–♭7–9 built on C. See and hear it on all three instruments below.
On guitar
x-3-2-3-3-0 · open · medium
- Notes
- C · E · G · B♭ · D
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · 5 · ♭7 · 9
- First shape
- x-3-2-3-3-0
C9 on guitar: every shape, finger by finger
On piano
root position · C–E–G–B♭–D · right hand 1-2-3-4-5
- Notes
- C · E · G · B♭ · D
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · 5 · ♭7 · 9
C9 on piano: fingering and inversions
On ukulele
3-2-0-3 · open · easy
- Notes
- C · E · G · B♭ · D
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · 5 · ♭7 · 9
- First shape
- 3-2-0-3
Changing out of C9
The moves below are the ones you'll meet most, shown for guitar and piano.
- C9 → F (dominant, pulls to the chord a fifth below)
Guitar: C9 (x-3-2-3-3-0) to F (1-3-3-2-1-1): the index finger lays across the low E to high E strings at the 1st fret, move the middle finger to the G string, 2nd fret, the ring finger goes to the A string, 3rd fret. No finger can stay, so practice lifting all of them together and landing the new shape as a unit. C carries over from one chord to the other.
Piano: C9 to F: play F in 2nd inversion (C–F–A) and C stays under the same finger, while E moves up to F and B♭ down to A. F - C9 → Fmaj7 (I in F major)
Guitar: C9 (x-3-2-3-3-0) to Fmaj7 (x-x-3-2-1-0): the index finger goes to the B string, 1st fret, your middle finger lands on the G string, 2nd fret, the ring finger slides across to the D string at the same fret. Nothing carries over, so drill it slowly, lifting and landing all fingers at once. Listen for C and E, which stay put while the rest moves.
Piano: C9 to Fmaj7: play Fmaj7 in 2nd inversion (C–E–F–A) and C and E stay under the same fingers, while G moves down to F and B♭ down to A. Fmaj7 - C9 → Dm7 (vi in F major)
Guitar: C9 (x-3-2-3-3-0) to Dm7 (x-x-0-2-1-1): your index finger lands on the B string, 1st fret, the middle finger goes to the high E string, 1st fret, move the ring finger to the G string, 2nd fret. Nothing carries over, so drill it slowly, lifting and landing all fingers at once. Shared notes: C and D.
Piano: C9 to Dm7: play Dm7 in 1st inversion (F–A–C–D) and D stays under the same finger, while E moves up to F, B♭ down to A and B♭ up to C. Dm7
How C9 is built
C9 is a dominant ninth: C7 with the ninth on top. It has the pull of a seventh chord with a funkier, fuller color, and like C7 it leans toward F.
From C, go 4 half steps up to E, 3 half steps up to G, 3 half steps up to B♭ then 4 half steps up to D.
| Note | Role | Half steps | Hear it |
|---|---|---|---|
| C | root | 0 | |
| E | major third | 4 | |
| G | perfect fifth | 7 | |
| B♭ | minor seventh | 10 | |
| D | ninth | 14 |
Keys and progressions with C9
C9 contains C, E, G, B♭ and D. These notes all belong to F major, where C9 can function as V9. They also belong to the D natural minor collection; that shared note set does not, by itself, determine the chord’s function in a progression.
Chords close to C9
- C9 is C7 plus D. C7
Chords that share most of their notes with C9: C7, Cadd9, Em7♭5, Gm6, C, Csus2.
Every C chord
C9 chord: questions
What notes are in the C9 chord?
C, E, G, B♭ and D. C9 is built 1–3–5–♭7–9 from C: E is the major third, G is the perfect fifth, B♭ is the minor seventh and D is the ninth.
How do you play C9 on guitar?
The usual shape is x-3-2-3-3-0 (open). All 4 guitar shapes.
How do you play C9 on piano?
Play C, E, G, B♭ and D with right-hand fingers 1-2-3-4-5. C sits just left of the pair of black keys. Inversions and left hand.
How do you play C9 on ukulele?
3-2-0-3 in standard GCEA tuning. More ukulele shapes.
What key is C9 in?
C9 contains C, E, G, B♭ and D. These notes all belong to F major, where C9 can function as V9. They also belong to the D natural minor collection; that shared note set does not, by itself, determine the chord’s function in a progression.
What's the difference between C9 and C7?
C9 is C7 plus D.
Diagrams and sound come from the same data, tested so they match. Updated September 2026.