The 9th Note on Guitar: How to Use It to Transform Your Sound

So, what do all of these have in common? They all include a nine or a two – essentially the second degree after the root.

Once you know your triads on the guitar, you can start forming arpeggios and phrases all over the neck. For example, if you take an E triad and want to include the nine, recognize where the root is. You can either change the root into a two, or modify the chord to a sus2 while still getting an F#.

If you take a D chord and make it a sus2 by lowering the third, you can also replace the root to get a new sound. Forming these chords and seeing them across the neck adds color to your playing.

For example, if you take an A minor chord, replacing the root with a two gives you a beautiful sound. Alternatively, lowering the third gives a different sound.

Are you looking to add a rich and expressive sound to your playing? Incorporating the 9th note or 2nd degree, into your chord progressions and melodies can be the key. Whether you’re playing a major or minor chord, adding the 9th note can add depth and color to your sound.

To get started, it’s important to familiarize yourself with the location of the different chord’s 9th note on your instrument’s neck and how to incorporate it into your chord voicings and melodies. Practice and study can help you master the art of using the 9th note to add expression and interest to your music. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different voicings and melodies – the 9th note can take your playing to the next level.

The 9th is a commonly used note in music theory that adds depth and expression into your playing. It is the 2nd degree of the scale and is the same as the 2nd degree of the natural minor scale in a major scale. For example, the 9th in the key of C major is D and in the key of A minor it is B.

The 9th note is often used in chord progressions and melodies to add color and interest to the sound. It can be added to a chord by replacing the root with the 9th note or by lowering the third to create a sus2 voicing. For example, an E major chord can be voiced as E-G#-B or as F#-G#-B, creating an E9 or an Esus2 chord, respectively.

In melodies, the 9th note can add a sense of resolution or tension depending on how it is used in relation to the chord progression. For example, when used over a dominant chord, the 9th creates tension that is resolved into the root of the next chord.

Incorporating the 9th note of the chord into your playing can add depth and expression to your music. It’s an important concept to understand and can significantly enhance your playing with practice and study. So don’t be afraid to experiment and try out different voicings and melodies with the 9th note – it can take your playing to the next level!

01 9th Chord Voicings Every Guitarist Should Know

So let’s get practical. There are three main types of 9th chords you’ll encounter, and each one has a completely different character. Understanding these voicings will add a whole new dimension to your comping and chord melody playing.

Major 9 (Cmaj9): This chord has a dreamy, lush quality. The notes are C, E, G, B, D. On guitar, a beautiful voicing is: 8th fret on the 6th string (C), 7th fret on the 5th string (E), 9th fret on the 4th string (B), 8th fret on the 3rd string (G), 8th fret on the 2nd string (not played or muted), 10th fret on the 1st string (D). You can also play a simpler version: skip the 6th string, play the 5th string 3rd fret (C), 4th string open (D), 3rd string open (G), 2nd string open (B), 1st string open (E). That’s essentially a Cmaj9 with the notes rearranged. Very cool sound.

Minor 9 (Am9): This one has a warm, soulful quality. Think neo-soul, think D’Angelo. The notes are A, C, E, G, B. A nice voicing: 5th fret on the 6th string (A), 3rd fret on the 5th string (C), 5th fret on the 4th string (G), 5th fret on the 3rd string (C is optional, or play B at 4th fret), 5th fret on the 2nd string (E), 7th fret on the 1st string (B). Or keep it simple: open A string, then play 3-5-4-5-0 on strings 5-4-3-2-1. Beautiful.

Dominant 9 (G9): This is the one with real movement. It wants to go somewhere. The notes are G, B, D, F, A. A classic voicing: 3rd fret 6th string (G), 2nd fret 5th string (B), 3rd fret 4th string (F), 2nd fret 3rd string (A), 3rd fret 2nd string (D). Skip the 1st string. This voicing is used everywhere in funk, blues, and jazz. Hendrix lived on dominant 9 chords.

02 Applying 9ths Over Common Progressions

Now that you know the voicing shapes, let’s put them to work over real music. The 9th works beautifully in almost any context, but there are a few progressions where it really shines.

Over a ii-V-I in C major: Play Dm9 (5th fret root), then G9 (3rd fret root), then Cmaj9 (8th fret root or the open voicing). Notice how the 9th of each chord creates a stepwise melody on top: E (9th of Dm), A (9th of G), D (9th of C). That’s voice leading happening naturally, just from adding the 9th to each chord.

Over a 1-6-2-5 in G major: Gmaj9, Em9, Am9, D9. This progression is everywhere in jazz and pop. With 9th voicings, it sounds incredibly rich compared to basic triads or even 7th chords. The 9th softens each chord and gives it room to breathe.

Over a simple I-IV in any key: Let’s say you’re playing C to F. Instead of basic major chords, play Cadd9 to Fadd9. The add9 is simpler than a full maj9 because it doesn’t include the 7th. C-E-G-D and F-A-C-G. This is the sound you hear in so many acoustic pop songs, and it works because the 9th adds just enough color without getting too jazzy.

03 Three Practical 9th Voicing Shapes You Can Use Today

Let me give you three shapes that you can move anywhere on the fretboard. These are the ones I use constantly, both in teaching and in my own playing.

Shape 1: The Add9 Triad (strings 4-3-2). Take any major triad on strings 4-3-2 and replace the root with the 9th. For C major, instead of playing C-E-G on those strings, play D-E-G. The root is still implied by the bass or the band. This is a beautiful sound that works as a chord and as an arpeggio when you’re soloing.

Shape 2: The “Hendrix Chord” (strings 6-5-4-3). This is the dominant 7#9, but even the basic dominant 9 shape rooted on the 6th string is incredibly useful. Root on the 6th string, skip the 5th, then 3rd of the chord on the 4th string, flat 7 on the 3rd string, 9th on the 2nd string. Move this shape around and you’ve got every dominant 9 chord on the guitar.

Shape 3: The Sus2 Approach (strings 3-2-1). This is what I showed in the video. Take any triad on the top three strings and lower the 3rd by a whole step to get the 2nd (which is the same as the 9th). For E major on strings 3-2-1 (G#-B-E), lower the G# to F# and you get F#-B-E, which is an Esus2. This works for both major and minor contexts and gives you that open, modern sound.