C#m9 / Dbm9 Guitar Chord
C#m9 (also written Dbm9) is a minor ninth chord. It adds a major ninth to a minor seventh chord for a smooth sound heard a lot in soul and jazz. Its notes are C#, E, G#, B and D#. Below is one way to play it, with a chord diagram, tab and finger numbers.
Notes in C#m9 / Dbm9
C#m9 and Dbm9 are two names for the same chord. The notes below are spelled as C#m9.
| Note | Degree | Interval |
|---|---|---|
| C# | R | Root |
| E | b3 | Minor 3rd |
| G# | 5 | Perfect 5th |
| B | b7 | Minor 7th |
| D# | 9 | Major 9th |
Formula: 1–b3–5–b7–9
C#m9 / Dbm9 chord shapes
Finger numbers: 1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring, 4 pinky. In the tab, x means don't play that string and 0 means play it open. In the diagrams the top line is the 1st (thinnest) string and the nut is on the left.
E-shape 9fr
Easiest- Tab (6th → 1st string)
- 9 11 9 9 9 11
- Fingers
- 1 3 1 1 1 4
How to play C#m9 / Dbm9 (easiest shape)
Shape: E-shape 9fr, tab 9 11 9 9 9 11 (6th to 1st string).
- 1Lay your index finger (1) flat across the 6th to 2nd strings at the 9th fret (a barre).
- 2Put your ring finger (3) on the 5th string at the 11th fret.
- 3Put your pinky (4) on the 1st string at the 11th fret.
- 4Strum down from the 6th string to the 1st string.
C#m9 / Dbm9: common questions
- What notes are in the C#m9 / Dbm9 chord?
- C#m9 and Dbm9 are two names for the same chord. Spelled as C#m9, it has 5 notes: C#, E, G#, B and D#. Counted from the root, that is 1–b3–5–b7–9.
- Is there an easier way to play C#m9 / Dbm9?
- The easiest shape on this page is "E-shape 9fr" (9 11 9 9 9 11). Every shape on this page is a barre chord. Barre shapes are movable: keep the same hand shape and slide it along the neck to play this type of chord from other roots.
Related chords
Other C#/Db chords
Same chord type, other roots
More guitar tools
See all 231 chords in the chord library, find a scale to play over them, or tune up before you start.