Minor Ninth Guitar Chord

Minor Ninth Guitar Chords can be used instead of standard minor chords to add color to progressions. Shown here is a common way of playing a minor ninth chord. This shape has its root note on the fifth string.

Minor Ninth Guitar Chord
Minor Ninth Guitar Chord

Read on to find out more about this chord shape, then use it in the example chord progression.

Minor Ninth Guitar Chord

The minor ninth is an atmospheric chord that can be used to add a jazz-blues sound to standard minor chords. It is popular in blues and fusion music as well as in jazz. It can also be used in rock to 'spice up' minor chord progressions. The chord symbol for a minor ninth is m9.

The minor ninth is the minor version of the standard dominant ninth chord we covered in Guitar Chord Of The Week here.

Notes In Minor Ninth Chords

A minor ninth chord is basically a minor seventh chord with an extra note: the ninth above the root note in the chord.

D Minor Ninth Chord
D Minor Ninth Chord

Therefore, a D minor ninth chord would be made up of the notes: D F A C (the seventh) and E (the ninth). You can read about extended chords and how they are formed here.

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This week's chord shape places the fifth note at the top of the chord. If the m9 chord shape is played at the 3rd fret, then the notes are as follows:

Minor Ninth Guitar Chord TAB
Minor Ninth Guitar Chord TAB

This minor 9th guitar chord is played much like its dominant counterpart, but of course, being a minor chord, it has a minor third instead of a major third. In this shape, the minor third is on the fourth string.

Most guitarists finger this chord by making a kind of barre on the top three strings with the third finger.

The note on the first (top E) string is optional. Leaving it out gives the chord a more 'defined' sound, but to play it this way it is best fingered as shown below:

Minor Ninth Chord Shape
Minor Ninth Chord Shape

You can avoid playing the bottom E string either by starting your strum on the fifth string, or by damping it with the tip of your third finger. A combination of both methods is often used.

Minor 9th Guitar Chord Progression

Try using the minor ninth guitar chord in this sample progression. Take it at a nice steady tempo and give it a jazzy, bluesy feel.

Minor 9th Blues Fusion ProgressionMinor 9th Guitar Chord Progression

Minor 9th Guitar Chord Progression

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We hope that you have enjoyed playing this chord. Let us know if you have any suggestions for next week's Chord Of The Week!

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