D minor ninth (Dm9) chord on piano

The D minor ninth chord (Dm9) is a minor ninth chord (a minor seventh plus a major ninth), made of five notes: D – F – A – C – E.

Full chord: D4 – F4 – A4 – C5 – E5

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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)
7	C	minor seventh (10 semitones)
9	E	major second (2 semitones)

Piano voicings

Chords with five or more notes are rarely played in one hand: the left hand takes the root, the right hand the colour notes. The fifth (and in an eleventh chord the third) is often left out.

Full chord

D4 – F4 – A4 – C5 – E5

Two-hand voicing

D3 – F4 – C5 – E5 – A5

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

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.

How do I play the Dm9 chord on piano?

Play the root with your left hand and the colour notes (third, seventh, ninth) with your right hand – the two-hand voicing above. Stacking all 5 notes in one hand is possible but sounds crowded.

How is the Dm9 chord written?

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