C9 Guitar Chord

Looking for C#9 (C♯9)? →

C9 is a dominant 9th chord made of C · E · G · B♭ · D. A 7th chord with the 9th added — funky and bluesy. The standard shape is a barre chord at fret 2: x32330 (6th string → 1st string, x = don't play, 0 = open string).

Chord charts

Open position · root on 5th string · x32330

Fret 7 barre · root on 6th string · 87878x · from fret 7

Fret 9 · root on 4th string · x-x-10-9-11-10 · from fret 9

Index finger on string 4 (D), fret 2.
Middle finger on string 5 (A), fret 3.
Ring finger on string 3 (G), fret 3.
Pinky finger on string 2 (B), fret 3.
Let string 1 ring open.
Don't play string 6 (or mute lightly).
Strum down from string 5.

C9 guitar chord chart — fret 2 barre x32330 and 2 more shapes — All C9 shapes on one image — long-press (or right-click) to save it.

Notes in the chord

C
rootE
3rdG
5thB♭
7thD
9th

Play it easier with a capo

There's no convenient open shape to capo for this chord — the barre shape is the way to go.

Try it: capo on

Scales that fit

Other C chords

C Cm C7 Cmaj7 Cm7 C6 Cm6 Csus4 Csus2 C7sus4 Cdim Cdim7 Cm7b5 Caug Cadd9 C9 Cm9 Cmaj9

Dominant 9th chords in other keys

C9 C♯9 D9 E♭9 E9 F9 F♯9 G9 A♭9 A9 B♭9 B9

FAQ

What notes are in the C9 chord?

The C9 chord is made of C, E, G, B♭, D. A 7th chord with the 9th added — funky and bluesy.

What's the easiest way to play C9 on guitar?

The standard shape, from the 6th string to the 1st, is x32330 (a barre chord at fret 2). Barre with your index finger and form the shape with the other fingers.

Which scale works for soloing over C9?

C mixolydian or C blues fits well.

🎸 Transpose a whole chord sheet — Buskermate
Upload a PDF song sheet and Buskermate reads the chords and moves them to any key or capo position (the app is in Korean for now).