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C minor 9th chord on guitar (Cm9)
Also called or written Cm9 or C
C minor 9th contains C, E♭, G, B♭ and D. The 8th-fret barre is a movable shape that works up and down the neck.
How it is built
Formula 1, ♭3, 5, ♭7, 9
- Root positionC–E♭–G–B♭–DCm98-10-8-8-8-10
- First inversionE♭–G–B♭–D–CCm9/E♭11-10-10-12-11-10
- Second inversionG–B♭–D–C–E♭Cm9/Gno shape on this instrument
- Third inversionB♭–D–C–E♭–GCm9/B♭6-6-×-7-8-8
- Fourth inversionD–C–E♭–G–B♭Cm9/D10-10-8-8-8-8
How do you play a C minor 9th chord on guitar?
C minor 9th is played at the 8th fret as 8 10 8 8 8 10: barre your index finger across fret 8, ring finger on the A string at fret 10 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 10.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 8 | 1 (barre) | C (1) |
| 5 (A) | 10 | 3 | G (5) |
| 4 (D) | 8 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (♭7) |
| 3 (G) | 8 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | 8 | 1 (barre) | G (5) |
| 1 (e) | 10 | 4 | D (2) |
AdvancedThe index barre must hold down all six strings at the 8th fret while the ring finger and pinky stretch to the 10th fret.
Cm9/E♭ inversion
C minor 9th is played at the 10th fret as 11 10 10 12 11 10: barre your index finger across fret 10, middle finger on the low E string at fret 11, pinky finger on the G string at fret 12 and ring finger on the B string at fret 11.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 11 | 2 | E♭ (♭3) |
| 5 (A) | 10 | 1 (barre) | G (5) |
| 4 (D) | 10 | 1 (barre) | C (1) |
| 3 (G) | 12 | 4 | G (5) |
| 2 (B) | 11 | 3 | B♭ (♭7) |
| 1 (e) | 10 | 1 (barre) | D (2) |
Cm9/B♭ inversion
C minor 9th is played at the 6th fret as 6 6 × 7 8 8: barre your index finger across fret 6, middle finger on the G string at fret 7, ring finger on the B string at fret 8 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 8. The D string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 6 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (♭7) |
| 5 (A) | 6 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (♭3) |
| 4 (D) | muted | — | — |
| 3 (G) | 7 | 2 | D (2) |
| 2 (B) | 8 | 3 | G (5) |
| 1 (e) | 8 | 4 | C (1) |
Cm9/D inversion · fret 8
C minor 9th is played at the 8th fret as 10 10 8 8 8 8: barre your index finger across fret 8, ring finger on the low E string at fret 10 and pinky finger on the A string at fret 10.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 10 | 3 | D (2) |
| 5 (A) | 10 | 4 | G (5) |
| 4 (D) | 8 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (♭7) |
| 3 (G) | 8 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | 8 | 1 (barre) | G (5) |
| 1 (e) | 8 | 1 (barre) | C (1) |
Cm9/D inversion · fret 10
C minor 9th is played at the 10th fret as 10 10 10 12 11 11: barre your index finger across fret 10, pinky finger on the G string at fret 12, middle finger on the B string at fret 11 and ring finger on the high e string at fret 11.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 10 | 1 (barre) | D (2) |
| 5 (A) | 10 | 1 (barre) | G (5) |
| 4 (D) | 10 | 1 (barre) | C (1) |
| 3 (G) | 12 | 4 | G (5) |
| 2 (B) | 11 | 2 | B♭ (♭7) |
| 1 (e) | 11 | 3 | E♭ (♭3) |
Why it sounds like that
C minor 9th is built from the formula 1, ♭3, 5, ♭7, 9. The 9th, D, is what separates it from C minor 7th. The ♭7, B♭, gives the chord its minor 9th quality.
What goes wrong with C minor 9th?
- The D string is muted because the ring finger leans against it when fretting the A string.
- The high E string does not ring clearly because the pinky is not pressing hard enough.
When to use it
C minor 9th is the vi chord in E♭ major, appearing in the I–V–vi–IV progression E♭–B♭–Cm–A♭. It suits jazz, funk and R&B where the 9th adds a smooth colour.
Changing to and from C minor 9th
- Sliding the shape down two frets to the 6th fret gives B♭ minor 9th.
- Sliding the shape up one fret to the 9th fret gives C♯ minor 9th.
Which voicing to use
The 8th-fret voicing has C in the bass and is the default grip. The Cm9/E♭ inversion, with E♭ in the bass, creates a darker sound that works when the bass player covers the root.
Other C chords
Common questions
How is C minor 9th written?
C minor 9th is written Cm9 or C minor 9th. The symbol Cm9 is the most common shorthand.
What is the difference between C minor 9th and C minor 7th?
C minor 9th adds the 9th, D, to the C minor 7th notes C, E♭, G and B♭. The 9th gives a more open, jazzy sound.
Can I play C minor 9th without a barre?
Yes, the Cm9/B♭ inversion at the 6th fret uses no barre and has B♭ in the bass. It is a good choice when the bass player is already playing the root.