D9 Guitar Chord

D dominant ninth (D9) is made of the notes D F♯ A C E. Here are 3 ways to play it on guitar, starting with the easiest.

How to play D9 on guitar

  1. Shape 1

    From fret 4

    4fr 3 2 1 D F♯ C E A

    x54555

  2. Shape 2

    Barre at fret 7

    7fr 1 4 2 D E A D F♯ C

    10-7-7-7-7-8

  3. Shape 3

    Barre at fret 10

    10fr 1 3 2 4 D A C F♯ A E

    10-12-10-11-10-12

Notes in D9

Formula 1 3 5 ♭7 9
DegreeNote
1D
3F♯
5A
♭7C
9E

Shape 1 step by step

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

Shape 2 step by step

  1. Lay your index finger flat across strings 5 to 2 at fret 7.
  2. Put your little finger on string 6 at fret 10.
  3. Put your middle finger on string 1 at fret 8.
  4. Strum from string 6 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 D9 chord?

D dominant ninth has the notes D F♯ A C E. 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 D9 on guitar?

Start with shape 1 (from fret 4), written as x54555 from string 6 to string 1. Here x means you don’t play that string and 0 means it rings open.

Dominant 9th chords in every key