D dominant ninth (D9) chord on banjo

Looking for the D9 chord on banjo? It is a dominant ninth chord (a dominant seventh plus a major ninth), made of five notes: D – F♯ – A – C – E.

Dots show:

Basic shapeeasy

Position 2medium

Position 7medium

Tap a string on a diagram to hear just that string. The sound is generated in your browser with a physical string model.

Chord finder Transposer Tuner

What the D9 chord sounds like

A dominant ninth is a dominant seventh with an added major ninth. A fuller, fatter dominant sound – a staple of funk, soul and blues.

Notes of the D9 chord

Degree	Note	Interval from the root
1	D	root
3	F♯	major third (4 semitones)
5	A	perfect fifth (7 semitones) – often omitted on fretted instruments
7	C	minor seventh (10 semitones)
9	E	major second (2 semitones)

How to play it – with fingering

Basic shape

String 1 (D): fret 4, index finger (F♯4)
String 2 (B): fret 5, ring finger (E4)
String 3 (G): fret 5, middle finger (C4)
String 4 (D): open (D3)

Position 2

String 1 (D): fret 4, ring finger (F♯4)
String 2 (B): fret 3, middle finger (D4)
String 3 (G): fret 5, little finger (C4)
String 4 (D): fret 2, index finger (E3)

Position 7

String 1 (D): fret 10, little finger (C5)
String 2 (B): fret 7, index finger (F♯4)
String 3 (G): fret 9, ring finger (E4)
String 4 (D): open (D3)

Five-string banjo in open G tuning (g D G B D). The diagram shows the four long strings; the short 5th string (g) rings open – avoid it when G is not in the chord. In the diagram, × means the string is not played, and a circle means an open string.

Which keys is it in?

The D9 chord is built from the notes of these keys (for minor keys, both the natural and the harmonic minor are considered):

G major: V9 (dominant)
E minor: VII9

Similar chords and substitutes

If D9 is too hard, or you want a different colour in the same spot, these chords are worth a try.

Substitutes (by function)

A♭7 – tritone substitute: the same third and seventh, swapped – a jazz favourite
F♯dim7 – diminished seventh on the third: a common stand-in for the dominant
D7 – a simpler dominant
D7sus4 – suspended dominant, less tense
G – where it resolves (V → I)

Simpler versions

D7 – all 4 of its notes are in this chord
Dadd9 – all 4 of its notes are in this chord
D – all 3 of its notes are in this chord
Dsus2 – all 3 of its notes are in this chord

Richer versions

D11 – the same chord plus 1 colour note
D13 – the same chord plus 1 colour note

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the D9 chord?

D, F♯, A, C, E. The root is D; the intervals of the other notes from the root: major third, perfect fifth, minor seventh, major second.

What is the easiest way to play D9 on banjo?

The easiest shape above is “Basic shape”, rated easy. We show 3 shapes, from open and easy versions to movable barre shapes higher up the neck.

How do I read the chord diagram?

Strings run from the lowest (left) to the highest (right) – tick “Left-handed” to mirror it. Rows are frets; a number at the side shows the starting fret. Dots are fingers (1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring, 4 little), a long bar is a barre, × means don't play that string and ○ means play it open.

Why is a note missing from some D9 shapes?

On a fretted instrument you can't always play every note of a 5-note chord. The fifth (A) may be dropped – the chord keeps its character without it.

How is the D9 chord written?

The chord symbol is D9, and its full name is D dominant ninth.