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C♯9 Guitar Chord

C♯ dominant ninth (C♯9) is made of the notes C♯ E♯ G♯ B D♯. Here are 3 ways to play it on guitar, starting with the easiest.

How to play C♯9 on guitar

  1. Shape 1

    Open position

    4 1 2 3 C♯ D♯ G♯ B E♯

    x41101

  2. Shape 2

    From fret 3

    3 2 1 C♯ E♯ B D♯ G♯

    x43444

  3. Shape 3

    Barre at fret 6

    6fr 1 4 2 C♯ D♯ G♯ C♯ E♯ B

    966667

Notes in C♯9

Formula 1 3 5 ♭7 9
DegreeNote
1C♯
3E♯
5G♯
♭7B
9D♯

Shape 1 step by step

  1. Put your little finger on string 5 at fret 4.
  2. Put your index finger on string 4 at fret 1.
  3. Put your middle finger on string 3 at fret 1.
  4. Put your ring finger on string 1 at fret 1.
  5. Let string 2 ring open.
  6. Don’t play string 6.
  7. Strum from string 5 to string 1.

Shape 2 step by step

  1. Lay your ring finger flat across strings 3 to 1 at fret 4.
  2. Put your middle finger on string 5 at fret 4.
  3. Put your index finger on string 4 at fret 3.
  4. Don’t play string 6.
  5. Strum from string 5 to string 1.

Tune your guitar first

A chord only sounds right when your instrument is in tune. Check your strings with the free online tuner before you practise. Open the guitar tuner

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the C♯9 chord?

C♯ dominant ninth has the notes C♯ E♯ G♯ B D♯. Its formula is 1 3 5 ♭7 9. The numbers are steps of the major scale, counted from the root.

What is the easiest way to play C♯9 on guitar?

Start with shape 1 (open position), written as x41101 from string 6 to string 1. Here x means you don’t play that string and 0 means it rings open.

Is C♯9 the same chord as D♭9?

Yes. C♯9 and D♭9 sound the same and use the same shapes. The name a chart uses depends on the key of the song.

Dominant 9th chords in every key

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