As the VF♯ major
- ii7G♯m7
- V9C♯9
- Imaj7F♯maj7
C♯9 is the chord that wants to resolve, so ending the loop on it hands straight back to the top.
C♯9 Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The C♯9 chord is a dominant ninth chord built on the root note C♯. Its notes are C♯, E♯, G♯, B and D♯. It's enharmonically the same chord as D♭9.
Transpose
Quality
Short answer
Dominant ninth chords are a dominant seventh with extra shine. The ninth on top softens the bite of the tritone below it, which is why funk, soul and blues rhythm guitar lives on this chord.
- Notes
- C♯ · E♯ · G♯ · B · D♯
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · 5 · ♭7 · 9
- Semitones
- 0 · 4 · 7 · 10 · 14
- Note
- C♯
- Quality
- Dominant 9
- Symbol
- C♯9
C♯9 on piano
5 notesView:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
To play C♯9 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 C♯, G♯ and D♯ are black keys and E♯ and B are white. E♯ is the key you'd normally call F. The thumb starts on a black key, so slide the whole hand a little further in, towards the fallboard. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
- C♯1
- E♯3
- G♯5
- B♭7
- D♯9
C♯9 on guitar
View:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, C♯9 is commonly played with the voicing shown above. The fretted notes sit between frets 1 and 4. String 2 rings open. Don't play string 6.
C♯ · E♯ · G♯ · B · D♯
Play C♯9 on the online piano
Free, in your browser: play with the mouse, your computer keyboard or a USB MIDI keyboard. No sign-up.
C♯9 chord notes
Also known as D♭9
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | C♯(C#) | |
| 3 | Major third | 4 | E♯(E#) | |
| 5 | Perfect fifth | 7 | G♯(G#) | |
| ♭7 | Minor seventh | 10 | B | |
| 9 | Major ninth | 14 | D♯(D#) |
How to use the C♯9 chord
The C♯9 chord is built from a root, a major third, a perfect fifth, a minor 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.
Dominant ninth chords take the place of a plain dominant seventh in blues, funk, soul and jazz. As the V9 they resolve just like a V7 does, only with more colour on the way.
How C♯9 differs from similar chords
C♯9 is C♯7 with a major ninth on top, so it keeps the dominant pull of the tritone. It differs from C♯maj9 in the seventh, minor rather than major, and from C♯add9, which has no seventh at all. In C♯7♭9 and C♯7♯9 the same ninth is moved a half step down or up.
Where C♯9 is used
A dominant chord wants to resolve. Its home is the V of a major key - and the I of a blues, where the pull never lets up.
Questions people ask
- What notes are in the C♯9 chord?
- The C♯9 chord contains C♯, E♯, G♯, B and D♯ (C#, E#, G#, B and D# in plain text).
- Is the C♯9 chord major or minor?
- C♯9 is a dominant ninth chord. Dominant ninth chords are a dominant seventh with extra shine. The ninth on top softens the bite of the tritone below it, which is why funk, soul and blues rhythm guitar lives on this chord.
- How do you play C♯9 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 C♯, G♯ and D♯ are black keys and E♯ and B are white. E♯ is the key you'd normally call F. The thumb starts on a black key, so slide the whole hand a little further in, towards the fallboard.
- How do you play C♯9 on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. The fretted notes sit between frets 1 and 4. String 2 rings open. Don't play string 6.
- What is another name for the C♯9 chord?
- C♯9 is enharmonically equivalent to D♭9. Both chord names describe exactly the same notes, but the spelling depends on the key you are playing in.