D9 Chord
5th Fret · A-String RootThe shape most guitarists mean by a 9th chord. Middle finger on the A string at fret 5 for the root, index on the D string at fret 4 for F# (the major 3rd), and the ring finger flattened across the G, B and high e strings at fret 5 — that gives C, E and A in one bar. Mute the low E.
D9 Chord
10th Fret · E-String RootThe six-string funk and R&B grip, rooted on the low E at fret 10. Barre the index across fret 10 — that covers the root, C on the D string and A on the B — then middle on the G string at fret 11 for F#, ring on the A string at fret 12 for A, and pinky on the high e at fret 12 for E.
D9 Chord
12th Fret · D-String RootFour strings and no 5th — the voicing for when a bass player already has the low end, or the chord has to stay out of the way. Middle on the D string at fret 12 for the root, index on the G string at fret 11 for F#, pinky on the B string at fret 13 for C, and ring on the high e at fret 12 for E. A is left out on purpose: it is the note a 9th chord misses least. Mute the low E and A strings.
Drop the 5th, not the 9th
Five notes, four fingers. A is the one to leave out: the root already implies it, while the 9th is the entire reason you picked this chord. The four-string shape on this page does exactly that.
Two grips, twelve keys
Neither the A-string form nor the E-string barre uses an open string, so both slide. Move either shape up two frets and you have E9; down one and you have C#9. Two shapes cover all twelve roots.
It is a 7th chord with a view
D9 does the same job as D7 and lands in the same place. Swap one for the other in a blues and nothing breaks — the sound just opens up.
Keep the low E quiet
The A-string shape roots the chord on the A string, so the low E has to stay silent. Let the tip of your middle finger lean back against it as you fret the root.
Sit on it
A dominant 9th is stable enough to vamp on. Funk rhythm guitar often stays on one 9th chord for eight bars, working the strum and the right-hand mute for groove instead of changing chord.
About the D9 Chord on Guitar
The D9 chord is built from five notes: D (the root), F# (the major 3rd), A (the perfect 5th), C (the minor 7th) and E (the 9th) — formula 1 – 3 – 5 – ♭7 – 9. It is a D7 with the 9th stacked on top, and the 9th is just E raised an octave, so nothing is taken away: the chord keeps the bluesy pull of a dominant 7th and gains a wider, richer top. Five notes will not always fit under four fingers on six strings, which is why guitarists routinely drop the perfect 5th — the root already implies it — and why the four-string voicing here has no A in it and still sounds unmistakably like D9. Functionally the chord behaves exactly like D7: it is the V chord in the key of G and resolves there, though blues, funk and R&B frequently park on a 9th for bars at a time without resolving at all. Do not confuse it with Dadd9, which adds the same 9th to a plain major triad but has no 7th, or with Dmaj9, which uses the natural 7th rather than the flat one. This page covers three voicings: the A-string root grip at fret 5, the E-string barre at fret 10, and a compact four-string voicing rooted on the D string at fret 12. Every diagram is interactive and playable with acoustic guitar sound.
- 013 D9 chord shapes from intermediate to advanced
- 02Interactive diagrams — click Play to hear each chord
- 03Acoustic guitar sound via audio engine
- 04Built from 5 notes: D, F#, A, C and E (formula 1 – 3 – 5 – ♭7 – 9)
- 05A-string root, E-string barre, and compact four-string voicings
- 06Difficulty rating on every shape
- 07Free — no sign-up or download needed
ANATOMY
Chord Tones
The 5 notes that form the D Dominant 9th chord and their role in the major scale.
Every dominant 9th chord follows this same formula — root, major third, perfect fifth, minor seventh, and the major 9th stacked on top. Five notes on six strings, so guitar voicings routinely drop the perfect 5th.