D minor ninth (Dm9) chord on guitar

Minor ninth chord (a minor seventh plus a major ninth) on D: the notes of the Dm9 chord are D – F – A – C – E.

Dots show:

Easy versioneasy

Position 8medium

Barre, fret 10medium

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 Dm9 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 Dm9 chord

Degree	Note	Interval from the root
1	D	root
3	F	minor third (3 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

Easy version

String 1 (e): open (E4)
String 2 (B): not played
String 3 (G): fret 5, little finger (C4)
String 4 (D): fret 3, index finger (F3)
String 5 (A): fret 5, ring finger (D3)
String 6 (E): not played

Position 8

String 1 (e): not played
String 2 (B): not played
String 3 (G): fret 9, middle finger (E4)
String 4 (D): fret 10, little finger (C4)
String 5 (A): fret 8, index finger (F3)
String 6 (E): fret 10, ring finger (D3)

Barre, fret 10, barre at fret 10

String 1 (e): fret 12, little finger (E5)
String 2 (B): fret 10, index finger (A4)
String 3 (G): fret 10, index finger (F4)
String 4 (D): fret 10, index finger (C4)
String 5 (A): fret 12, ring finger (A3)
String 6 (E): fret 10, index finger (D3)

For the barre, lay your index finger flat across all the marked strings at fret 10; your other fingers press the higher frets.

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 Dm9 chord is built from the notes of these keys (for minor keys, both the natural and the harmonic minor are considered):

D minor: i9 (tonic)
A minor: iv9 (subdominant)
F major: vi9
C major: ii9

Similar chords and substitutes

If Dm9 is too hard, or you want a different colour in the same spot, these chords are worth a try.

Substitutes (by function)

F – relative major: two shared notes
B♭ – the major chord a major third below: two shared notes
Dm7 – a fuller, softer minor colour

Simpler versions

Dm7 – all 4 of its notes are in this chord
Dm – all 3 of its notes are in this chord
Dsus2 – all 3 of its notes are in this chord
D5 – all 2 of its notes are in this chord

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the Dm9 chord?

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

What is the easiest way to play Dm9 on guitar?

The easiest shape above is “Easy version”, 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 Dm9 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 Dm9 chord written?

The chord symbol is Dm9, and its full name is D minor ninth.