Dominant 9 chords
A dominant ninth chord has five notes: the root, major third, perfect fifth, minor seventh and major second. Its formula is 1 3 5 b7 9. A dominant 7th chord with the 9th added. Funk, soul and blues players often use it in place of the plain 7th.
On C it is written C9, and also Cdom9.
Dominant 9 chords in every key
| Chord | Notes | Shapes |
|---|---|---|
| C9 | C E G Bb D | guitar · piano |
| Db9 | Db F Ab Cb Eb | guitar · piano |
| D9 | D F# A C E | guitar · piano |
| Eb9 | Eb G Bb Db F | guitar · piano |
| E9 | E G# B D F# | guitar · piano |
| F9 | F A C Eb G | guitar · piano |
| F#9 | F# A# C# E G# | guitar · piano |
| G9 | G B D F A | guitar · piano |
| Ab9 | Ab C Eb Gb Bb | guitar · piano |
| A9 | A C# E G B | guitar · piano |
| Bb9 | Bb D F Ab C | guitar · piano |
| B9 | B D# F# A C# | guitar · piano |
Dominant 9 compared
| Chord | Symbol | Formula | Notes | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dominant 9 | C9 | 1 3 5 b7 9 | C E G Bb D | |
| Dominant 7 | C7 | 1 3 5 b7 | C E G Bb | C7 is C9 (C, E, G, Bb and D) without D, the 9th. |
| Add9 | Cadd9 | 1 3 5 9 | C E G D | Cadd9 is C9 (C, E, G, Bb and D) without Bb, the flat 7th. |
| Minor 9 | Cm9 | 1 b3 5 b7 9 | C Eb G Bb D | Cm9 and C9 share C, G, Bb and D. Cm9 has Eb, the flat 3rd, where C9 has E, the 3rd. |
Questions
What is a dominant ninth chord?
A dominant ninth chord has five notes: the root, major third, perfect fifth, minor seventh and major second. Its formula is 1 3 5 b7 9. A dominant 7th chord with the 9th added. Funk, soul and blues players often use it in place of the plain 7th.
How do you write a dominant ninth chord?
On C it is written C9, and also Cdom9.
What is the difference between C9 and C7?
C9 is C7 (C, E, G and Bb) with D, the 9th, added.