Dbmaj9 Db major ninth chord
- Notes
- Db F Ab C Eb
- Formula
- 1 3 5 7 9
- Semitones
- 0 4 7 11 14 above the root
- Also written
- C#maj9 (C# E# G# B# D#)
- Other symbols
- DbM9, DbΔ9
Db to F is a major third (4 semitones), F to Ab is a minor third (3 semitones), Ab to C is a major third (4 semitones), C to Eb is a minor third (3 semitones). A major seventh (Dbmaj7) with the ninth, Eb, on top. The fifth, Ab, is often left out on guitar.
Dbmaj9 on the piano
Root position from Db4: Db4, F4, Ab4, C5, Eb5. Middle C is C4.
Dbmaj9 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 Db as its lowest note.
x 4 3 5 4 x (low E to high e)
Sounds Db3 F3 C4 Eb4, fifth left out
9 8 10 8 9 x (low E to high e)
Sounds Db3 F3 C4 Eb4 Ab4
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 Dbmaj9
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 | Db F Ab C Eb | Dbmaj9 | |
| 1st inversion | F Ab C Eb Db | Dbmaj9/F | |
| 2nd inversion | Ab C Eb Db F | Dbmaj9/Ab | |
| 3rd inversion | C Eb Db F Ab | Dbmaj9/C | |
| 4th inversion | Eb Db F Ab C | Dbmaj7/Eb (also read as Dbmaj9/Eb) |
Where Dbmaj9 fits
Dbmaj9 is Imaj9 in Db major, IVmaj9 in Ab major. Its upper four notes F Ab C Eb are Fm7: play that chord over a Db bass and you have Dbmaj9.