Cmaj9 C major ninth chord
- Notes
- C E G B D
- Formula
- 1 3 5 7 9
- Semitones
- 0 4 7 11 14 above the root
- Other symbols
- CM9, CΔ9
C to E is a major third (4 semitones), E to G is a minor third (3 semitones), G to B is a major third (4 semitones), B to D is a minor third (3 semitones). A major seventh (Cmaj7) with the ninth, D, on top. The fifth, G, is often left out on guitar.
Cmaj9 on the piano
Root position from C4: C4, E4, G4, B4, D5. Middle C is C4.
Cmaj9 on the guitar
Standard tuning (E A D G B E). Strings run low E on the left to high e on the right, frets downwards; × is a muted string, ○ an open string, and each dot shows the note it sounds, with the root in blue-green. Every shape below has C as its lowest note.
x 3 2 4 3 x (low E to high e)
Sounds C3 E3 B3 D4, fifth left out
8 7 9 7 8 x (low E to high e)
Sounds C3 E3 B3 D4 G4
The E-shape and A-shape grips are movable: an E-shape chord's root is the note under your first finger on the low E string, an A-shape chord's root is the note on the A string. Slide the same grip up or down to play major ninth chords on other roots.
Inversions of Cmaj9
An inversion puts a note other than the root in the bass. The name is what semicord's chord finder calls those notes played bottom to top; a slash name like C/E means a C chord with E in the bass.
| Position | Notes, bass first | Named | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Root position | C E G B D | Cmaj9 | |
| 1st inversion | E G B D C | Cmaj9/E | |
| 2nd inversion | G B D C E | Cmaj9/G | |
| 3rd inversion | B D C E G | Cmaj9/B | |
| 4th inversion | D C E G B | Cmaj9/D |
Where Cmaj9 fits
Cmaj9 is Imaj9 in C major, IVmaj9 in G major. Its upper four notes E G B D are Em7: play that chord over a C bass and you have Cmaj9.