About the C♯m9 chord
The minor ninth adds the ninth to a minor seventh chord. It is smooth and lush, and sits at the heart of neo-soul, R&B and jazz. The symbol for it is C♯m9. (also written D♭m9)
How to play C♯m9
- Put your index finger on the D string at fret 1.
- Put your middle finger on the G string at fret 1.
- Put your ring finger on the A string at fret 4.
- Strum and let the B and high E strings ring open, and don't play the low E string.
1 index · 2 middle · 3 ring · 4 little
Chords in the key of C♯ minor
These are the chords built on each note of the C♯ minor scale, so they all sound good together with C♯m9. The Roman numeral under each one is its position in the key.
Other C♯ chords
C♯m9 chord questions
What notes are in a C♯m9 chord?
C♯m9 is made of C♯, E, G♯, B and D♯. In intervals that is 1, ♭3, 5, ♭7, 9 above the root, C♯.
What is the easiest way to play C♯m9?
The first shape above is the most common one: x 4 1 1 0 0 from the low E string to the high E, where x means don't play that string and 0 means play it open. Start there, and try the other shapes once it feels comfortable.
Is C♯m9 a barre chord?
The main shape above is an open chord with no barre. Some of the other shapes further up the neck do use a barre, which lets you move the same shape to any key.