9th chords are 7th chords with an extra note added on top. These chords can help to create a sophisticated and cool sound to your guitar playing and are great chords for blues, funk and jazz.

Dominant 9th Chord
The most common 9th chord is the dominant 9th chord normally just called a 9th chord. The 9th chord and is based on the dominant 7th chord with the 9th scale note added. For example the C9 chord consists of the notes C E G Bb and D. The D note is the 9th note away from the root C note in the chord.

If the chord doesn’t contain the flattened 7th (Bb) note it isn’t a 9th chord but an “add 9” chord (e.g. C E G D) which sounds quite different.

The 5 string 9th chord shape can be played using 4 or 5 strings with the 3rd (see above) or 4th finger being used to play strings 1 and 2. Sometimes the bass note is removed with only the first 4 strings used.

The Funk Chord
The 9th chord is used in jazz and blues as a substitute for the dominant 7th chord. It is also known as the funk chord as it is used in many James Brown songs and in other funk music from bands including Prince and The Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Here’s a typical James Brown funk groove using the 9th chord. Just watch for the muted dead strums between the strummed chords. Dead strums are played here by simply releasing the pressure on the fret board slightly so the strings don’t ring out. For the rhythm get the strumming hand to move up and down continually for the 16th note rhythm while applying pressure on the “1” of this count “123 123 123 12 12”.

9th Chord Funk | Download Listen to the audio of the 9th Chord Funk.

The other common fret board shape for the 9th chord is the one where the root note would be on the 6th string. Often in this chord the root note is omitted but it can be added as a high note onto the 1st string if wanted.

Major 9th Chord
The major 9th chord is an extension of the major 7th chord. For example the notes of C major 9 would be C E G B and D with the D again being the 9th note. This chord is more commonly used in jazz music as a substitute for a major or major 7 chord. The major 9th chord can be written with a triangle or capital M. For example C^9 or CM9. The 5 string shape for the major 9 chord is like a diamond with all 4 fingers required.

The 6 string major 9 chord shape is a bit fiddly so watch the finger placement to ensure that all the strings ring out clearly.

Minor 9th Chord
The minor 9th chord is based on the minor 7th chord. So for C minor 9 the notes would be C Eb G Bb and D. Again this chord is more often used in jazz music as a substitute for minor and minor 7 chords. The minor 9 chord is written as Cm9 or C-9. The 5 string shape is easy to play as it only requires you to move finger 1 down one fret from the dominant 9 shape.

A 6 string shape for the minor 9 chord uses the minor 7 shape and adds the 9^th note with the 4^th finger on the 1^st string.

9th Chords in Jazz
To finish off here is a musical example in a jazz style using 9th chords in a typical jazz progression. It may take a few times before it can be played smoothly as it takes some time to get used to the new chord shapes.

9th Chord Jazz | Download Listen to the audio of the 9th Chord Jazz.

You can even use 9th chords in pop/rock music. Experiment and see how you can make these chords can work in the songs and chord progressions that you play.