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D minor major 9th chord on guitar (DmMaj9)
Also called or written DmMaj9, Dminmaj9, DmM9, Dmin(maj9) or Dm(maj9)
D minor major 9th contains D, F, A, C♯ and E. The 10th-fret voicing is a full barre with a pinky stretch to fret 12 on the high E.
How it is built
Formula 1, ♭3, 5, 7, 9
- Root positionD–F–A–C♯–EDmMaj910-12-11-10-10-12
- First inversionF–A–C♯–E–DDmMaj9/F1-0-0-2-2-0
- Second inversionA–C♯–E–D–FDmMaj9/Ano shape on this instrument
- Third inversionC♯–E–D–F–ADmMaj9/C♯no shape on this instrument
- Fourth inversionE–D–F–A–C♯DmMaj9/E0-0-0-2-2-1
How do you play a D minor major 9th chord on guitar?
D minor major 9th is played at the 10th fret as 10 12 11 10 10 12: barre your index finger across fret 10, ring finger on the A string at fret 12, middle finger on the D string at fret 11 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 12.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 10 | 1 (barre) | D (1) |
| 5 (A) | 12 | 3 | A (5) |
| 4 (D) | 11 | 2 | C♯ (7) |
| 3 (G) | 10 | 1 (barre) | F (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | 10 | 1 (barre) | A (5) |
| 1 (e) | 12 | 4 | E (2) |
AdvancedThe index barre must hold the low E, G, B and high E at fret 10 while the pinky reaches fret 12 on the high E.
Dminmaj9/F inversion · open position — the easy shape, no barre
D minor major 9th is played in open position as 1 0 0 2 2 0: index finger on the low E string at fret 1, 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) | 1 | 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) |
Dminmaj9/F inversion · fret 12
D minor major 9th is played at the 12th fret as 13 12 12 14 14 12: barre your index finger across fret 12, middle finger on the low E string at fret 13, 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) | 13 | 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) |
Dminmaj9/E inversion · open position
D minor major 9th is played in open position as 0 0 0 2 2 1: middle finger on the G string at fret 2, ring finger on the B string at fret 2 and index finger on the high e string at fret 1. The low E, A and D strings ring open.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | open | — | E (2) |
| 5 (A) | open | — | A (5) |
| 4 (D) | open | — | D (1) |
| 3 (G) | 2 | 2 | A (5) |
| 2 (B) | 2 | 3 | C♯ (7) |
| 1 (e) | 1 | 1 | F (♭3) |
Dminmaj9/E inversion · fret 10
D minor major 9th is played at the 10th fret as 12 12 11 10 10 10: barre your index finger across fret 10, ring finger on the low E string at fret 12, pinky finger on the A string at fret 12 and middle finger on the D string at fret 11.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 12 | 3 | E (2) |
| 5 (A) | 12 | 4 | A (5) |
| 4 (D) | 11 | 2 | C♯ (7) |
| 3 (G) | 10 | 1 (barre) | F (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | 10 | 1 (barre) | A (5) |
| 1 (e) | 10 | 1 (barre) | D (1) |
Why it sounds like that
D minor major 9th is built from the formula 1, ♭3, 5, 7, 9. The major 7th C♯ against the minor 3rd F creates the chord's characteristic tension. Compare it to D minor major 7th, which omits the 9th E.
What goes wrong with D minor major 9th?
- Let the high E string buzz under the pinky at fret 12.
- Allow the middle finger to touch the G string, deadening the barre note at fret 10.
- Lift the index barre off the low E string, losing the root D.
When to use it
Use D minor major 9th in place of D minor for a more complex color. It suits jazz ballads and film-score tension.
Changing to and from D minor major 9th
- Sliding the shape down one fret to the 9th fret gives C♯ minor major 9th.
- Move to D minor major 7th by lifting the pinky off the high E string and letting the B string ring at fret 10.
Which voicing to use
The 10th-fret voicing puts the root D in the bass for a grounded sound. The D minor major 9th/F inversion at the 12th fret places F in the bass, softening the chord's bite. Choose the E inversion when you want the 9th in the bass for a floating, unresolved feel.
Other D chords
Common questions
How is D minor major 9th written?
D minor major 9th is written DmM9, min(maj9), m(maj9), or Dminmaj9.
What is the difference between D minor major 9th and D minor add 9?
D minor add 9 contains D, F, A and E, omitting the major 7th C♯. D minor major 9th includes both the major 7th and the 9th, creating a denser, more dissonant sound.
Can D minor major 9th be used in a minor key?
D minor major 9th is the tonic chord in D harmonic minor and D melodic minor. It is not diatonic to D natural minor, which has a minor 7th C instead of C♯.