Major 9 chords
A major ninth chord has five notes: the root, major third, perfect fifth, major seventh and major second. Its formula is 1 3 5 7 9. A major 7th chord with the 9th added. It is a common I and IV chord in jazz, soul and bossa nova.
On C it is written Cmaj9, and also CM9 and CΔ9.
Major 9 chords in every key
| Chord | Notes | Shapes |
|---|---|---|
| Cmaj9 | C E G B D | guitar · piano |
| Dbmaj9 | Db F Ab C Eb | guitar · piano |
| Dmaj9 | D F# A C# E | guitar · piano |
| Ebmaj9 | Eb G Bb D F | guitar · piano |
| Emaj9 | E G# B D# F# | guitar · piano |
| Fmaj9 | F A C E G | guitar · piano |
| F#maj9 | F# A# C# E# G# | guitar · piano |
| Gmaj9 | G B D F# A | guitar · piano |
| Abmaj9 | Ab C Eb G Bb | guitar · piano |
| Amaj9 | A C# E G# B | guitar · piano |
| Bbmaj9 | Bb D F A C | guitar · piano |
| Bmaj9 | B D# F# A# C# | guitar · piano |
Major 9 compared
| Chord | Symbol | Formula | Notes | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Major 9 | Cmaj9 | 1 3 5 7 9 | C E G B D | |
| Major 7 | Cmaj7 | 1 3 5 7 | C E G B | Cmaj7 is Cmaj9 (C, E, G, B and D) without D, the 9th. |
| Dominant 9 | C9 | 1 3 5 b7 9 | C E G Bb D | C9 and Cmaj9 share C, E, G and D. C9 has Bb, the flat 7th, where Cmaj9 has B, the 7th. |
| Add9 | Cadd9 | 1 3 5 9 | C E G D | Cadd9 is Cmaj9 (C, E, G, B and D) without B, the 7th. |
Questions
What is a major ninth chord?
A major ninth chord has five notes: the root, major third, perfect fifth, major seventh and major second. Its formula is 1 3 5 7 9. A major 7th chord with the 9th added. It is a common I and IV chord in jazz, soul and bossa nova.
How do you write a major ninth chord?
On C it is written Cmaj9, and also CM9 and CΔ9.
What is the difference between Cmaj9 and Cmaj7?
Cmaj9 is Cmaj7 (C, E, G and B) with D, the 9th, added.