C♯ minor ninth (C♯m9) chord on guitar

Looking for the C♯m9 chord on guitar? It is a minor ninth chord (a minor seventh plus a major ninth), made of five notes: C♯ – E – G♯ – B – D♯. The same chord with a different spelling: D♭ minor ninth (D♭m9).

Dots show:

Easy versioneasy

Open positionmedium

Position 7medium

Barre, fret 9medium

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

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What the C♯m9 chord sounds like

A minor ninth is a minor seventh with an added major ninth: soft and warm, typical of R&B and neo-soul.

Notes of the C♯m9 chord

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

How to play it – with fingering

Easy version

String 1 (e): open (E4)
String 2 (B): fret 4, ring finger (D♯4)
String 3 (G): fret 4, middle finger (B3)
String 4 (D): not played
String 5 (A): fret 4, index finger (C♯3)
String 6 (E): not played

Open position, barre at fret 1

String 1 (e): open (E4)
String 2 (B): open (B3)
String 3 (G): fret 1, index finger (G♯3)
String 4 (D): fret 1, index finger (D♯3)
String 5 (A): fret 4, little finger (C♯3)
String 6 (E): not played

For the barre, lay your index finger flat across all the marked strings at fret 1; your other fingers press the higher frets.

Position 7

String 1 (e): not played
String 2 (B): not played
String 3 (G): fret 8, middle finger (D♯4)
String 4 (D): fret 9, little finger (B3)
String 5 (A): fret 7, index finger (E3)
String 6 (E): fret 9, ring finger (C♯3)

Tuning: E A D G B E (low to high). String 6 is the thickest, the low E. In the diagram, × means the string is not played, and a circle means an open string.

Which keys is it in?

The C♯m9 chord is built from the notes of these keys (for minor keys, both the natural and the harmonic minor are considered):

C♯ minor: i9 (tonic)
G♯ minor: iv9 (subdominant)
E major: vi9
B major: ii9

Similar chords and substitutes

If C♯m9 is too hard, or you want a different colour in the same spot, these chords are worth a try.

Substitutes (by function)

E – relative major: two shared notes
A – the major chord a major third below: two shared notes
C♯m7 – a fuller, softer minor colour

Simpler versions

C♯m7 – all 4 of its notes are in this chord
C♯m – all 3 of its notes are in this chord
C♯sus2 – all 3 of its notes are in this chord
C♯5 – all 2 of its notes are in this chord

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the C♯m9 chord?

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

What is the easiest way to play C♯m9 on guitar?

The easiest shape above is “Easy version”, rated easy. We show 4 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 C♯m9 shapes?

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

How is the C♯m9 chord written?

The chord symbol is C♯m9 (also written C#m9), and its full name is C♯ minor ninth.