C#m9 C# minor ninth chord
- Notes
- C# E G# B D#
- Formula
- 1 b3 5 b7 9
- Semitones
- 0 3 7 10 14 above the root
- Also written
- Dbm9 (Db Fb Ab Cb Eb)
- Other symbols
- C#min9, C#−9
C# to E is a minor third (3 semitones), E to G# is a major third (4 semitones), G# to B is a minor third (3 semitones), B to D# is a major third (4 semitones). A minor seventh (C#m7) with a major ninth on top: D#, 14 semitones above C#. The fifth, G#, is the note players drop first.
C#m9 on the piano
Root position from C#4: C#4, E4, G#4, B4, D#5. Middle C is C4.
C#m9 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 4 2 4 4 4 (low E to high e)
Sounds C#3 E3 B3 D#4 G#4
9 11 9 9 9 11 (low E to high e)
Sounds C#3 G#3 B3 E4 G#4 D#5
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 minor ninth chords on other roots.
Inversions of C#m9
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# | C#m9 | |
| 1st inversion | E G# B D# C# | C#m9/E | |
| 2nd inversion | G# B D# C# E | C#m9/G# | |
| 3rd inversion | B D# C# E G# | C#m9/B | |
| 4th inversion | D# C# E G# B | C#m7/D# (also read as C#m9/D#) |
Where C#m9 fits
C#m9 is ii9 in B major, vi9 in E major, i9 in C# minor. Its upper four notes E G# B D# are Emaj7, the usual rootless voicing of C#m9 over a C# bass.