Ukulele · major ninth
Cmaj9 Chord on Ukulele
C Major 9th is C, E, G, B, D — the 1-3-5-7-9 pattern of a major ninth chord. Here is the shape, the audio, and what usually goes wrong.
There is no open Cmaj9 on ukulele. The one shape below sits up the neck and is rated advanced.
Start here — Movable maj9 Shape (4th fret)
Fingered low on the neck with no barre — a useful middle step between the open shape and the movable ones.
What beginners get wrong
Moving in and out of it
The shape above: Movable maj9 Shape (4th fret).
Listening: each shape above has its own play button, and each one plays the notes that shape actually produces — not a generic triad.
Cmaj9 on other instruments
Same notes, different hands. Every link below is a real page with diagrams and audio.
Chords next door
Same root, different colour — and all of them playable on ukulele.
Cmaj9 on Ukulele — questions people ask
What is the easiest way to play Cmaj9 on ukulele?
“Movable maj9 Shape (4th fret)” — which we rate advanced — is the easiest Cmaj9 shape on ukulele. Fingered low on the neck with no barre — a useful middle step between the open shape and the movable ones. There is no open Cmaj9 on ukulele, so a barre is unavoidable; this is the least demanding one.
What notes are in the C Major 9th chord?
C Major 9th is C, E, G, B, D — the 1-3-5-7-9 interval pattern of a major ninth chord. Every voicing on this page uses those notes and nothing else; they just appear in a different order and octave.
What can I play instead of Cmaj9?
The nearest stand-ins on ukulele that keep the same root are Csus4, Csus2, C. They keep the root and the fifth and only change what sits in the middle, so most songs still work — but check the swap against the melody, because the note you removed may be the one the tune is singing.
Can I play Cmaj9 on other instruments?
Yes. Cmaj9 is the same set of notes everywhere; only the fingering changes. This site has diagrams and audio for it on guitar, piano.
Learn the theory behind Cmaj9
The shape gets your fingers there. These explain why it sounds the way it does.