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C♯ minor 9th chord on guitar (C♯m9)
Also called or written C♯m9 or C♯
C♯ minor 9th contains C♯, E, G♯, B and D♯. The 9th-fret barre is a movable shape that shifts up the neck for other minor 9th chords.
How it is built
Formula 1, ♭3, 5, ♭7, 9
- Root positionC♯–E–G♯–B–D♯C♯m99-11-9-9-9-11
- First inversionE–G♯–B–D♯–C♯C♯m9/E0-2-1-1-2-0
- Second inversionG♯–B–D♯–C♯–EC♯m9/G♯no shape on this instrument
- Third inversionB–D♯–C♯–E–G♯C♯m9/B×-2-1-1-2-0
- Fourth inversionD♯–C♯–E–G♯–BC♯m9/D♯11-11-9-9-9-9
How do you play a C♯ minor 9th chord on guitar?
C♯ minor 9th is played at the 9th fret as 9 11 9 9 9 11: barre your index finger across fret 9, ring finger on the A string at fret 11 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 11.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 9 | 1 (barre) | C♯ (1) |
| 5 (A) | 11 | 3 | G♯ (5) |
| 4 (D) | 9 | 1 (barre) | B (♭7) |
| 3 (G) | 9 | 1 (barre) | E (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | 9 | 1 (barre) | G♯ (5) |
| 1 (e) | 11 | 4 | D♯ (2) |
AdvancedThe index barre must hold down all six strings at the 9th fret while the ring finger and pinky stretch to the 11th fret.
C♯m9/E inversion · open position
C♯ minor 9th is played in open position as 0 2 1 1 2 0: ring finger on the A string at fret 2, index finger on the D string at fret 1, middle finger on the G string at fret 1 and pinky finger on the B string at fret 2. The low E and high e strings ring open.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | open | — | E (♭3) |
| 5 (A) | 2 | 3 | B (♭7) |
| 4 (D) | 1 | 1 | D♯ (2) |
| 3 (G) | 1 | 2 | G♯ (5) |
| 2 (B) | 2 | 4 | C♯ (1) |
| 1 (e) | open | — | E (♭3) |
C♯m9/E inversion · fret 11
C♯ minor 9th is played at the 11th fret as 12 11 11 13 12 11: barre your index finger across fret 11, middle finger on the low E string at fret 12, pinky finger on the G string at fret 13 and ring finger on the B string at fret 12.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 12 | 2 | E (♭3) |
| 5 (A) | 11 | 1 (barre) | G♯ (5) |
| 4 (D) | 11 | 1 (barre) | C♯ (1) |
| 3 (G) | 13 | 4 | G♯ (5) |
| 2 (B) | 12 | 3 | B (♭7) |
| 1 (e) | 11 | 1 (barre) | D♯ (2) |
C♯m9/B inversion
C♯ minor 9th is played in open position as × 2 1 1 2 0: ring finger on the A string at fret 2, index finger on the D string at fret 1, middle finger on the G string at fret 1 and pinky finger on the B string at fret 2. The high e string rings open. The low E string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 2 | 3 | B (♭7) |
| 4 (D) | 1 | 1 | D♯ (2) |
| 3 (G) | 1 | 2 | G♯ (5) |
| 2 (B) | 2 | 4 | C♯ (1) |
| 1 (e) | open | — | E (♭3) |
C♯m9/D♯ inversion
C♯ minor 9th is played at the 9th fret as 11 11 9 9 9 9: barre your index finger across fret 9, ring finger on the low E string at fret 11 and pinky finger on the A string at fret 11.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 11 | 3 | D♯ (2) |
| 5 (A) | 11 | 4 | G♯ (5) |
| 4 (D) | 9 | 1 (barre) | B (♭7) |
| 3 (G) | 9 | 1 (barre) | E (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | 9 | 1 (barre) | G♯ (5) |
| 1 (e) | 9 | 1 (barre) | C♯ (1) |
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 characteristic minor 9th colour.
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–C♯m–A. It suits jazz, neo-soul and ballads where the 9th adds a lush quality.
Changing to and from C♯ minor 9th
- Sliding the shape down one fret to the 8th fret gives C minor 9th.
- Sliding the shape up one fret to the 10th fret gives D minor 9th.
Which voicing to use
The 9th-fret voicing has C♯ in the bass and is the default grip. The C♯m9/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 C♯m9 or C♯ minor 9th. The ASCII root spelling is C#. It is also spelled D♭ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
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 C♯m9/E inversion at the open position uses no barre and has E in the bass. It is a good choice when the bass player is already playing the root.