B9 chord on ukulele
B9 is B, D♯, F♯, A and C♯. The usual shape is 4-3-5-4. Press Play to hear it, then try it at half speed.
4-3-5-4 · movable · medium
- Notes
- B · D♯ · F♯ · A · C♯
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · 5 · ♭7 · 9
- First shape
- 4-3-5-4
How to play B9 on ukulele
Shape 1, 4-3-5-4, reading from the G string on the left, starts at the 3rd fret:
- D♯: index finger, 3rd fret of the C string.
- B: middle finger, 4th fret of the G string.
- C♯: ring finger, 4th fret of the A string.
- A: pinky finger, 5th fret of the E string.
- This shape uses your pinky. It feels weak at first; press with the tip and let the finger stay curved.
- Strum with the pad of your index finger or thumb, all four strings, across the spot where the neck meets the body.
Other ways to play B9
- 6-9-7-6: movable shape at the 6th fret, medium. Same notes, stacked differently, so it sounds a little different.
B9 chord changes
These are the changes you'll meet most often with B9, using the first shape of each chord.
- E (dominant, pulls to the chord a fifth below): B9 (4-3-5-4) to E (1-4-0-2): the index finger goes to the G string, 1st fret, the middle finger goes to the A string, 2nd fret, your ring finger lands on the C string, 4th fret. No finger can stay, so practice lifting all of them together and landing the new shape as a unit. Shared note: B. E on ukulele
- Emaj7 (I in E major): B9 (4-3-5-4) to Emaj7 (1-3-0-2): your index finger lands on the G string, 1st fret, move the middle finger to the A string, 2nd fret, the ring finger goes to the C string, 3rd fret. Everything moves: lift the whole hand and place the new shape in one go. The two chords share B and D♯, which is why the change sounds smooth. Emaj7 on ukulele
- C♯m7 (vi in E major): B9 (4-3-5-4) to C♯m7 (1-1-0-2): the index finger goes to the G string, 1st fret, your middle finger lands on the C string, 1st fret, move the ring finger to the A string, 2nd fret. Everything moves: lift the whole hand and place the new shape in one go. The two chords share B and C♯, which is why the change sounds smooth. C♯m7 on ukulele
B9 is a dominant ninth: B7 with the ninth on top. With four strings, shape 1 leaves out the perfect fifth (F♯); the ear fills it in, and the chord still reads as B9. The usual guitar shape, 7-9-7-8-7-9, has room for all of them. On ukulele you hear it best picked slowly, string by string.
Practice B9 in two minutes
Arpeggiate 4-3-5-4 from the lowest string: B, D♯, A, C♯. Then strum it and listen for the same 4 notes together. Finish by moving between 4-3-5-4 and 6-9-7-6 to learn two positions of the same chord.
Where B9 shows up
B9 on guitar and piano
B9 on guitar and piano uses the same 5 notes in a different layout. See all three together.
Related B chords on ukulele
Other dominant ninth chords
B9 on ukulele: questions
What notes are in B9 on ukulele?
B, D♯, F♯, A and C♯. In the 4-3-5-4 shape the strings play B (G string), D♯ (C string), A (E string) and C♯ (A string).
What's the easiest way to play B9 on ukulele?
In standard tuning B9 can't use open strings. Begin with 4-3-5-4. It uses 4 fingers and no barre, and a capo can make it easier in some songs.
Is B9 a barre chord on ukulele?
Not in its common form: 4-3-5-4 needs no barre.
Which string does B9 start on?
In the 4-3-5-4 shape the lowest string you play is the G string at the 4th fret, which is B, the root.
Every shape above plays only B, D♯, F♯, A and C♯, checked by the site's tests. Updated September 2026.