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D major 9th chord on guitar (Dmaj9)
Also called or written Dmaj9 or D
D major 9th contains D, F♯, A, C♯, and E. The 9th-fret barre shape demands a wide stretch and clean barre across all six strings.
How it is built
Formula 1, 3, 5, 7, 9
- Root positionD–F♯–A–C♯–EDmaj910-9-11-9-10-9
- First inversionF♯–A–C♯–E–DDmaj9/F♯2-0-0-2-2-0
- Second inversionA–C♯–E–D–F♯Dmaj9/Ano shape on this instrument
- Third inversionC♯–E–D–F♯–ADmaj9/C♯×-4-2-2-3-2
- Fourth inversionE–D–F♯–A–C♯Dmaj9/E0-0-0-2-2-2
How do you play a D major 9th chord on guitar?
D major 9th is played at the 9th fret as 10 9 11 9 10 9: barre your index finger across fret 9, middle finger on the low E string at fret 10, pinky finger on the D string at fret 11 and ring finger on the B string at fret 10.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 10 | 2 | D (1) |
| 5 (A) | 9 | 1 (barre) | F♯ (3) |
| 4 (D) | 11 | 4 | C♯ (7) |
| 3 (G) | 9 | 1 (barre) | E (2) |
| 2 (B) | 10 | 3 | A (5) |
| 1 (e) | 9 | 1 (barre) | C♯ (7) |
AdvancedThe index barre must fret the A, G, and high e strings while the pinky reaches fret 11 on the D string.
Dmaj9/F♯ inversion · open position — the easy shape, no barre
D major 9th is played in open position as 2 0 0 2 2 0: index finger on the low E string at fret 2, middle finger on the G string at fret 2 and ring finger on the B string at fret 2. The A, D and high e strings ring open.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 2 | 1 | F♯ (3) |
| 5 (A) | open | — | A (5) |
| 4 (D) | open | — | D (1) |
| 3 (G) | 2 | 2 | A (5) |
| 2 (B) | 2 | 3 | C♯ (7) |
| 1 (e) | open | — | E (2) |
Dmaj9/F♯ inversion · fret 2
D major 9th is played at the 2nd fret as 2 4 2 2 3 2: barre your index finger across fret 2, pinky finger on the A string at fret 4 and ring finger on the B string at fret 3.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 2 | 1 (barre) | F♯ (3) |
| 5 (A) | 4 | 4 | C♯ (7) |
| 4 (D) | 2 | 1 (barre) | E (2) |
| 3 (G) | 2 | 1 (barre) | A (5) |
| 2 (B) | 3 | 3 | D (1) |
| 1 (e) | 2 | 1 (barre) | F♯ (3) |
Dmaj9/F♯ inversion · fret 9
D major 9th is played at the 9th fret as × 9 11 9 10 10: barre your index finger across fret 9, pinky finger on the D string at fret 11, middle finger on the B string at fret 10 and ring finger on the high e string at fret 10. The low E string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 9 | 1 (barre) | F♯ (3) |
| 4 (D) | 11 | 4 | C♯ (7) |
| 3 (G) | 9 | 1 (barre) | E (2) |
| 2 (B) | 10 | 2 | A (5) |
| 1 (e) | 10 | 3 | D (1) |
Dmaj9/F♯ inversion · fret 12
D major 9th is played at the 12th fret as 14 12 12 14 14 12: barre your index finger across fret 12, middle finger on the low E string at fret 14, ring finger on the G string at fret 14 and pinky finger on the B string at fret 14.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 14 | 2 | F♯ (3) |
| 5 (A) | 12 | 1 (barre) | A (5) |
| 4 (D) | 12 | 1 (barre) | D (1) |
| 3 (G) | 14 | 3 | A (5) |
| 2 (B) | 14 | 4 | C♯ (7) |
| 1 (e) | 12 | 1 (barre) | E (2) |
Why it sounds like that
D major 9th is built from the 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9 of the D major scale. The major 7th C♯ and the 9th E give it a smooth, flowing quality. Compare it to D major 7th, which omits the 9th.
What goes wrong with D major 9th?
- Letting the barre lift off the G string, which deadens the 5th.
- Allowing the pinky to touch the 3rd string, muffling the 9th.
- Strumming the low E too hard, overpowering the root on the A string.
When to use it
D major 9th serves as the I chord in D major, fitting progressions like D–G–A–D (I–IV–V–I). Its warm, resonant sound suits country, folk rock, and contemporary worship. It also works over D major and D major 7th.
Changing to and from D major 9th
- Move to <a href="/guitar/c-major-9-chord">C major 9th</a> by sliding the shape down two frets to the 7th fret.
- Shift to <a href="/guitar/e-flat-major-9-chord">E♭ major 9th</a> by sliding the shape up one fret to the 10th fret.
Which voicing to use
The 9th-fret voicing keeps D in the bass for a grounded, root-position sound. The Dmaj9/F♯ inversions put the third in the bass, creating a brighter, less settled feel. The 2nd-fret inversion offers an open-string alternative with a lighter texture.
Other D chords
Common questions
How is D major 9th written?
D major 9th is written D or Dmaj9. No enharmonic spelling is used.
What is the difference between D major 9th and D add 9?
D major 9th includes the major 7th C♯ along with the 9th E. D add 9 omits the 7th, giving a less dense sound.
Why does the 9th-fret shape use a barre?
The barre on the 9th fret covers the A, G, and high e strings, which are all chord tones. It frees the other fingers to reach the 10th and 11th frets.