Dm9 D minor ninth chord
- Notes
- D F A C E
- Formula
- 1 b3 5 b7 9
- Semitones
- 0 3 7 10 14 above the root
- Other symbols
- Dmin9, D−9
D to F is a minor third (3 semitones), F to A is a major third (4 semitones), A to C is a minor third (3 semitones), C to E is a major third (4 semitones). A minor seventh (Dm7) with a major ninth on top: E, 14 semitones above D. The fifth, A, is the note players drop first.
Dm9 on the piano
Root position from D4: D4, F4, A4, C5, E5. Middle C is C4.
Dm9 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 D as its lowest note.
x 5 3 5 5 5 (low E to high e)
Sounds D3 F3 C4 E4 A4
10 12 10 10 10 12 (low E to high e)
Sounds D3 A3 C4 F4 A4 E5
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 Dm9
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 | D F A C E | Dm9 | |
| 1st inversion | F A C E D | Dm9/F | |
| 2nd inversion | A C E D F | Dm9/A | |
| 3rd inversion | C E D F A | Dm9/C | |
| 4th inversion | E D F A C | Dm7/E (also read as Dm9/E) |
Where Dm9 fits
Dm9 is ii9 in C major, vi9 in F major, i9 in D minor. Its upper four notes F A C E are Fmaj7, the usual rootless voicing of Dm9 over a D bass.