What notes are in the C#m9 chord?

C#m9 is made of C#, E, G#, B and D# — the 1, b3, 5, b7 and 9 degrees of a minor ninth chord built on C#.

What keys use the C#m9 chord?

Every note of C#m9 belongs to 6 keys: E Major (vi), B Major (ii), Cb Major (ii), C# Minor (i), G# Minor (iv), Ab Minor (iv). The roman numeral is the scale degree the chord is rooted on.

How do you play C#m9 on guitar and piano?

This page shows C#m9 on guitar, piano and ukulele — 7 voicings in total. Each diagram links to the full instrument page with alternate shapes, audio and common mistakes.

Is C#m9 the same as Dbm9?

Yes. C#m9 and Dbm9 are enharmonic — identical pitches written two different ways. Which spelling you use depends on the key you are in; C#m9 is the spelling this site treats as canonical.

Chord · C# Minor 9th

C♯m9 Chord

C♯m9 is C#, E, G#, B and D# — smooth, sophisticated; neo-soul staple.

Hear it

C♯m9 on every instrument

The same 5 notes, 3 sets of hands. Open a diagram for alternate shapes, audio and the mistakes to avoid.

Guitar2 voicings

Piano4 voicings

Ukulele1 voicing

What C♯m9 is made of

C# Minor 9th (C# minor 9th) is built from the notes C#, E, G#, B, D#, with the interval pattern 1, b3, 5, b7, 9. A common minor 9th chord across many styles.

Stack 1, b3, 5, b7 and 9 on a root of C♯ and you get C#, E, G#, B and D#. That interval recipe is what makes the chord a minor ninth chord — move the same shape to another root and the character travels with it, which is why Cm9 sounds like a transposed C♯m9.

Minor 9th: Smooth, sophisticated; neo-soul staple.

Spelling: the notes above are written the way a score would write them, not simplified to the nearest piano key. That is why this chord is spelled with C♯ rather than its enharmonic equivalent.

Keys that contain C♯m9

All 5 notes sit inside the scale of 6 keys. The roman numeral marks the degree the chord is rooted on.

Major keys

Minor keys

Other chords on C♯

Same root, different colour.

C♯mC# Minor C♯dimC# Diminished C♯m6C# Minor 6th C♯m7C# Minor 7th C♯m(maj7)C# Minor-Major 7th C♯dim7C# Diminished 7th C♯m7♭5C# Half-Diminished 7th (m7♭5)C♯m/♭3C# Minor (1st Inversion)

The same minor ninth shape, moved

The identical interval recipe, built on other roots.

Cm9C Minor 9th Dm9D Minor 9th Em9E Minor 9th Fm9F Minor 9th Gm9G Minor 9th Am9A Minor 9th Bm9B Minor 9th F♯m9F# Minor 9th

Questions people ask about C#m9

What notes are in the C#m9 chord?: C#m9 is made of C#, E, G#, B and D# — the 1, b3, 5, b7 and 9 degrees of a minor ninth chord built on C#.
What keys use the C#m9 chord?: Every note of C#m9 belongs to 6 keys: E Major (vi), B Major (ii), Cb Major (ii), C# Minor (i), G# Minor (iv), Ab Minor (iv). The roman numeral is the scale degree the chord is rooted on.
How do you play C#m9 on guitar and piano?: This page shows C#m9 on guitar, piano and ukulele — 7 voicings in total. Each diagram links to the full instrument page with alternate shapes, audio and common mistakes.
Is C#m9 the same as Dbm9?: Yes. C#m9 and Dbm9 are enharmonic — identical pitches written two different ways. Which spelling you use depends on the key you are in; C#m9 is the spelling this site treats as canonical.

Learn the theory behind it

Why C♯m9 behaves the way it does — the guides that explain the chord instead of just spelling it.

Functional Harmony: Three Roles, One EngineWhat a seventh chord is for — tension, resolution, and the seat it takes in the key.6 min read The 12-Bar Blues — Three Chords, A Century of HitsSeventh chords are the whole sound of the blues. Twelve bars is where to hear it.7 min read Major and Minor Scales — Built from Intervals, Felt in SongsThe flat third under all of this, and the scale it comes from.5 min read