As the ii in a ii-V-IC♯ major
- ii9D♯m9
- V7G♯7
- Imaj7C♯maj7
The standard cadence: D♯m9 carries the subdominant function before the dominant arrives.
D♯m9 Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The D♯m9 chord is a minor ninth chord built on the root note D♯. Its notes are D♯, F♯, A♯, C♯ and E♯. It's enharmonically the same chord as E♭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
- D♯ · F♯ · A♯ · C♯ · E♯
- Formula
- 1 · ♭3 · 5 · ♭7 · 9
- Semitones
- 0 · 3 · 7 · 10 · 14
- Note
- D♯
- Quality
- Minor 9
- Symbol
- D♯m9
D♯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 D♯m9 on piano, place your right hand with your thumb on D♯, index finger on F♯, middle finger on A♯, ring finger on C♯ and little finger on E♯. Press the keys together and listen for an even sound. On the keyboard D♯, F♯, A♯ and C♯ are black keys and E♯ is white, 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.
- D♯1
- F♯♭3
- A♯5
- C♯♭7
- E♯9
D♯m9 on guitar
View:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, D♯m9 is commonly played with the voicing shown above. The fretted notes sit between frets 4 and 6. Don't play string 6.
D♯ · F♯ · A♯ · C♯ · E♯
Play D♯m9 on the online piano
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D♯m9 chord notes
Also known as E♭m9
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | D♯(D#) | |
| ♭3 | Minor third | 3 | F♯(F#) | |
| 5 | Perfect fifth | 7 | A♯(A#) | |
| ♭7 | Minor seventh | 10 | C♯(C#) | |
| 9 | Major ninth | 14 | E♯(E#) |
How to use the D♯m9 chord
The D♯m9 chord is built from a root, a minor third, a perfect fifth, a minor seventh and a major ninth. Start at the root D♯ and stack the intervals to get the whole chord: D♯, F♯, A♯, C♯ and E♯. 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 D♯m9 differs from similar chords
D♯m9 adds a major ninth to D♯m7, which sets it apart from a minor triad with only an added ninth and from D♯9, which has a major third. Its upper four notes form the major seventh chord a minor third above the root.
Where D♯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 D♯m9 chord?
- The D♯m9 chord contains D♯, F♯, A♯, C♯ and E♯ (D#, F#, A#, C# and E# in plain text).
- Is the D♯m9 chord major or minor?
- D♯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 D♯m9 on piano?
- Place your fingers on D♯, F♯, A♯, C♯ and E♯ 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 D♯, F♯, A♯ and C♯ are black keys and E♯ is white, 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 D♯m9 on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. The fretted notes sit between frets 4 and 6. Don't play string 6.
- What is another name for the D♯m9 chord?
- D♯m9 is enharmonically equivalent to E♭m9. Both chord names describe exactly the same notes, but the spelling depends on the key you are playing in.