Package leaflet · Information for the musician · Chord
C Major Ninth Chord (Cmaj9)
Lush, dreamy and luxurious. A major seventh chord with an added ninth, the sound of neo-soul and smooth jazz.
- Cmaj9
- 5 notes
- x30000
1Composition: what it contains
C – E – G – B – D
- Symbol
- Cmaj9
- Also written
- Cmaj9, CM9, CΔ9, Cma9
- Formula
- 1 3 5 7 9
| Degree | Note | Interval | Semitones |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | C | unison | 0 |
| 3 | E | major third | 4 |
| 5 | G | perfect fifth | 7 |
| 7 | B | major seventh | 11 |
| 9 | D | major ninth | 14 |
2Appearance: diagrams and sound
On the guitar
x30000open position
x3243xfret 2
855557fret 5
879787fret 7
x-15-12-12-12-12fret 12On the ukulele
4203open position
5475fret 4On the piano
On the staff
On bass and as an arpeggio
3Indications: what it is used for
The Imaj9 and IVmaj9 chords in jazz, neo-soul, R&B, bossa nova, city pop and lo-fi hip-hop. It is a colourful tonic at the end of a ii–V–I, and a common chord in dreamy progressions such as IVmaj9–iii7–ii9–Imaj9. Ionian or Lydian scales fit over it. In reharmonisation, it can replace a plain major triad whenever the melody is not holding the root against the major seventh. Neo-soul keyboardists like to stack it in wide, spread voicings across both hands for a soft pad sound.
4Dosage: how to practise it
On guitar, learn the shape rooted on the fifth string and the drop-2 shape with the ninth on top. On piano, play rootless left-hand voicings (3-5-7-9) and two-hand voicings (root-7 in the left, 3-5-9 in the right). Practise ii9–V13–Imaj9 at 70–120 BPM in all keys. Arpeggiate the chord in two octaves (1-3-5-7-9). Ten minutes daily, including neo-soul progressions. On bass, outline 1-5-7 and leave the ninth to the harmony instruments. Experiment with Lydian colour by adding the ♯11 on top.
5Warnings and common mistakes
Do not confuse maj9 with 9 (dominant, flat seventh) or add9 (no seventh). Avoid voicing the root a minor ninth above the major seventh, which sounds harsh. On guitar, the fifth is often omitted. The ninth and the third in the same octave can sound dense, so spread them. If the melody contains the fourth, it may clash; check before substituting.
6Interactions with chords, scales and keys
Inversions
- Inversion 1 · Cmaj9/E · E – G – B – D – C
- Inversion 2 · Cmaj9/G · G – B – D – C – E
- Inversion 3 · Cmaj9/B · B – D – C – E – G
- Inversion 4 · Cmaj9/D · D – C – E – G – B
Scales to play over Cmaj9
7Other presentations available
The same chord from every note
C♯maj9 Dmaj9 E♭maj9 Emaj9 Fmaj9 F♯maj9 Gmaj9 A♭maj9 Amaj9 B♭maj9 Bmaj9
Other chords on C
C Cm Cdim Caug Csus2 Csus4 C5 C6 Cm6 C7 Cmaj7 Cm7 Cm7♭5 Cdim7 Cm(maj7) C7sus4 Cadd9 Cm(add9) C6/9 C9 Cm9 C11 Cm11 C13 C7♭9 C7♯9 C7♯5 C7♭5
Read this leaflet carefully before playing. Keep it near your instrument. Free to use, print and share for personal and educational use.