Chord chart

C9 Chord on Guitar: 3 Easy Ways to Play C Ninth (Charts)

C9 chord charts with finger numbers, an easier version, the notes and intervals, and the keys and progressions that use it. Also searched as c9 chord, c9 guitar chord and how to play C9.

By David Sandy, guitar player and founder of Sandy Music Lab. Every chord shape on this page is checked note by note against the chord's formula.

C9 chord diagram, Open positionC9 Open position: low E muted, A fret 3, D open, G fret 3, B fret 3, high e open.×123x 3 0 3 3 0
Open position
x 3 0 3 3 0
C9 chord diagram, Barre (8th fret, E-string root)C9 Barre (8th fret, E-string root): low E fret 8, A fret 10, D fret 8, G fret 9, B fret 8, high e fret 10.8fr13248 10 8 9 8 10
Barre (8th fret, E-string root)
8 10 8 9 8 10
C9 chord diagram, Easy 4-string versionC9 Easy 4-string version: low E muted, A muted, D fret 10, G fret 9, B fret 11, high e fret 10.9fr××2143x x 10 9 11 10
Easy 4-string version
x x 10 9 11 10

Numbers are fingers (1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring, 4 pinky, T thumb). × = don't play that string, ○ = play it open. A long bar is a barre: one finger flat across those strings. Strings run low E (left) to high e (right).

Chord chart by Sandy Music Lab

Quick answer: To play C9 (C ninth) on guitar, play x 3 0 3 3 0 from the low E string to the high e string (the open position shape). The chord contains C, E, G, Bb, D. If that is hard, use the easier shape x x 10 9 11 10, which needs 4 fretted notes.

C9 chord facts

Chord C9 (C ninth)
Other names Cdom9
Notes C, E, G, Bb, D
Intervals C (root), E (major 3rd), G (perfect 5th), Bb (minor 7th), D (major 9th)
Formula 1-3-5-b7-9
Difficulty Beginner
Shapes on this page 3

How do you play C9 on guitar?

The main shape is x 3 0 3 3 0 (Open position). Finger by finger:

  1. Put your index finger (1) on the A string at fret 3 (C, the root).
  2. Put your middle finger (2) on the G string at fret 3 (Bb, the minor 7th).
  4. Put your ring finger (3) on the B string at fret 3 (D, the major 9th).
  5. Let the D (D) and high e (E) strings ring open.