As the ii in a ii-V-IB major
- ii9C♯m9
- V7F♯7
- Imaj7Bmaj7
The standard cadence: C♯m9 carries the subdominant function before the dominant arrives.
C♯m9 Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The C♯m9 chord is a minor 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♭m9.
Transpose
Quality
Short answer
Minor ninth chords are smooth, cool and slightly melancholy. The ninth widens a minor seventh into something more spacious, which is why it anchors so much modern R&B, house and jazz comping.
- Notes
- C♯ · E · G♯ · B · D♯
- Formula
- 1 · ♭3 · 5 · ♭7 · 9
- Semitones
- 0 · 3 · 7 · 10 · 14
- Note
- C♯
- Quality
- Minor 9
- Symbol
- C♯m9
C♯m9 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♯m9 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. 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♯m9 on guitar
View:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, C♯m9 is commonly played with the voicing shown above. This one is a barre at fret 1: keep the index finger flat across the strings and curve the others so they don't mute the strings next to them. Strings 2 and 1 ring open. Don't play string 6.
C♯ · E · G♯ · B · D♯
Try C♯m9 on the virtual piano
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C♯m9 chord notes
Also known as D♭m9
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | C♯(C#) | |
| ♭3 | Minor third | 3 | E | |
| 5 | Perfect fifth | 7 | G♯(G#) | |
| ♭7 | Minor seventh | 10 | B | |
| 9 | Major ninth | 14 | D♯(D#) |
How to use the C♯m9 chord
The C♯m9 chord is built from a root, a minor 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.
Minor ninth chords stand in for minor sevenths as the ii chord in a ii-V-I, or as the tonic of a minor groove. Neo-soul, house, jazz and R&B use them as the default minor colour.
How C♯m9 differs from similar chords
C♯m9 adds a major ninth to C♯m7, which sets it apart from a minor triad with only an added ninth and from C♯9, which has a major third. Its upper four notes form the major seventh chord a minor third above the root.
Where C♯m9 is used
A minor chord works as the tonic of its own key, and as the vi or the ii of a major one. Each progression below is written in the key its numerals name.
Questions people ask
- What notes are in the C♯m9 chord?
- The C♯m9 chord contains C♯, E, G♯, B and D♯ (C#, E, G#, B and D# in plain text).
- Is the C♯m9 chord major or minor?
- C♯m9 is a minor ninth chord. Minor ninth chords are smooth, cool and slightly melancholy. The ninth widens a minor seventh into something more spacious, which is why it anchors so much modern R&B, house and jazz comping.
- How do you play C♯m9 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. The thumb starts on a black key, so slide the whole hand a little further in, towards the fallboard.
- How do you play C♯m9 on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. This one is a barre at fret 1: keep the index finger flat across the strings and curve the others so they don't mute the strings next to them. Strings 2 and 1 ring open. Don't play string 6.
- What is another name for the C♯m9 chord?
- C♯m9 is enharmonically equivalent to D♭m9. Both chord names describe exactly the same notes, but the spelling depends on the key you are playing in.