As the tonic (I)C major
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Cmaj9 Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The Cmaj9 chord is a major ninth chord built on the root note C. Its notes are C, E, G, B and D.
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Quality
Short answer
Major ninth chords are lush and floating. A major seventh chord with a ninth added, they are one of the sweetest sounds in jazz and neo-soul, warm enough to sit still on for a whole bar.
- Notes
- C · E · G · B · D
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · 5 · 7 · 9
- Semitones
- 0 · 4 · 7 · 11 · 14
- Note
- C
- Quality
- Major 9
- Symbol
- Cmaj9
Cmaj9 on piano
5 notesView:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
To play Cmaj9 on piano, place your right hand with your thumb on C, index finger on E, middle finger on G, ring finger on B and little finger on D. Press the keys together and listen for an even sound. On the keyboard every note of Cmaj9 is a white key. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
- C1
- E3
- G5
- B7
- D9
Cmaj9 on guitar
View:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, Cmaj9 is commonly played with the voicing shown above. Strings 4, 3, 2 and 1 ring open. Don't play string 6.
C · E · G · B · D
Try Cmaj9 on the virtual piano
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Cmaj9 chord notes
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | C | |
| 3 | Major third | 4 | E | |
| 5 | Perfect fifth | 7 | G | |
| 7 | Major seventh | 11 | B | |
| 9 | Major ninth | 14 | D |
How to use the Cmaj9 chord
The Cmaj9 chord is built from a root, a major third, a perfect fifth, a major seventh and a major ninth. Start at the root C and stack the intervals to get the whole chord: C, E, G, B and D. The same formula gives you the chord in any other key.
Major ninth chords work as the I or IV chord where a major seventh would do, adding depth without changing the function. Bossa nova, jazz, soul and R&B treat them as a default tonic sound.
How Cmaj9 differs from similar chords
Cmaj9 stacks a major ninth on Cmaj7, and it differs from C9 only in the seventh, a half step higher. Without that major seventh it would be Cadd9. Its upper four notes form the minor seventh chord a major third above the root, which is how pianists often voice it.
Where Cmaj9 is used
A major chord is at home as a tonic, and just as useful as the IV or the V of a neighbouring key. Each progression below is written in the key its numerals name.
Questions people ask
- What notes are in the Cmaj9 chord?
- The Cmaj9 chord contains C, E, G, B and D.
- Is the Cmaj9 chord major or minor?
- Cmaj9 is a major ninth chord. Major ninth chords are lush and floating. A major seventh chord with a ninth added, they are one of the sweetest sounds in jazz and neo-soul, warm enough to sit still on for a whole bar.
- How do you play Cmaj9 on piano?
- Place your fingers on C, E, G, B and D and play them together. The root usually goes to the little finger of the left hand, the upper notes to the right. On the keyboard every note of Cmaj9 is a white key.
- How do you play Cmaj9 on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. Strings 4, 3, 2 and 1 ring open. Don't play string 6.
- What chords work well with Cmaj9?
- Cmaj9 pairs naturally with the chords in the related section: a perfect fifth up or down, the relative major or minor, and anything sharing two notes with it.