Cmaj9: C Major 9th Piano Chord

Scale degree, note, and interval measured from the root.
Degree	Note	Interval from root	Semitones
1	C	Perfect unison	0
3	E	Major third	4
5	G	Perfect fifth	7
7	B	Major seventh	11
9	D	Major ninth	14

Construction

C Major 9th = Root + Major 3rd + Perfect 5th + Major 7th + Major 2nd = C, E, G, B, D

Note	Interval	Degree
C	Root	1
E	Major 3rd	3
G	Perfect 5th	5
B	Major 7th	7
D	Major 2nd	9

Fingering

Note	Key color	Right hand	Left hand
C	white	thumb (1)	little finger (5)
E	white	index finger (2)	ring finger (4)
G	white	middle finger (3)	middle finger (3)
B	white	ring finger (4)	index finger (2)
D	white	little finger (5)	thumb (1)

Right hand: thumb (1) on C, index finger (2) on E, middle finger (3) on G, ring finger (4) on B, little finger (5) on D.

Left hand: little finger (5) on C, ring finger (4) on E, middle finger (3) on G, index finger (2) on B, thumb (1) on D.

Key Signature

A chord has no key signature of its own, but the C Major 9th is the tonic (I) chord of C Major, whose key signature has no sharps or flats.

Chords in the Key of C Major

These are the triads built on each degree of C Major:

I — C Major (major)

Degree	Numeral	Chord	Quality
1	I	C Major	Major
2	ii	D Minor	Minor
3	iii	E Minor	Minor
4	IV	F Major	Major
5	V	G Major	Major
6	vi	A Minor	Minor
7	vii°	B Diminished	Diminished

Scales That Include the C Major 9th

C Major (I)
G Major (IV)
A Minor (III)
E Minor (VI)
D Dorian (VII)
E Phrygian (VI)
F Lydian (V)
G Mixolydian (IV)

C Major 9th : Frequently Asked Questions

What is the C Major 9th chord on piano?

The C Major 9th chord contains the notes C – E – G – B – D. On piano, play these notes together to sound the chord.

What notes are in the C Major 9th chord?

The C Major 9th chord (Cmaj9) contains five notes: C (root), E (major third), G (perfect fifth), B (major seventh), and D (major ninth). It is Cmaj7 with an added ninth, one of the lushest chords in music.

How does Cmaj9 differ from C9?

Cmaj9 has a major seventh (B). C9 has a minor seventh (Bb). Cmaj9 sounds dreamy, lush, and resolved; C9 sounds bluesy and dominant. They have completely different functions.

How does Cmaj9 differ from Cadd9?

Cmaj9 includes the major seventh (B): C–E–G–B–D. Cadd9 has no seventh: C–E–G–D. Cmaj9 is warmer and more complex; Cadd9 is brighter and simpler.

How is Cmaj9 used in music?

Cmaj9 is the ultimate tonic chord in jazz and neo-soul. It is Cmaj7 made even more lush. Cmaj9 appears in jazz ballads, bossa nova, neo-soul, lo-fi hip-hop, and city pop as a rich, sophisticated resting chord.

What songs use Major 9th chords?

Major 9th chords are signature sounds of neo-soul, lo-fi, and jazz: D'Angelo, Erykah Badu, and Robert Glasper build entire songs on maj9 foundations. Bossa nova standards use maj9 as the default tonic voicing.

Do I need to play all five notes?

No: drop the fifth (G): C–E–B–D is a clean four-note voicing. Or drop the root for the rootless voicing E–G–B–D (an Em7 shape), standard when a bassist covers C.

C Major 9th in detail

Exact

Every pitch class is present and nothing outside the chord is added.

Type	Notes	Semitones	Span	Omissions and additions	Set relation
Close, root position	C3 E3 G3 B3 D4	14	193 mm	none	identical
Close, first inversion	E3 G3 B3 C4 D4	10	138 mm	none	identical
Close, second inversion	G3 B3 C4 D4 E4	9	124 mm	none	identical
Close, third inversion	B3 C4 D4 E4 G4	8	110 mm	none	identical
Close, fourth inversion	D3 E3 G3 B3 C4	10	138 mm	none	identical
Drop 2	B2 C3 E3 G3 D4	15	206 mm	none	identical
Drop 3	G2 C3 E3 B3 D4	19	261 mm	none	identical
Drop 2 and 4	E2 B2 C3 G3 D4	22	303 mm	none	identical

Reduced

A subset of the pitch classes: the identity is incomplete rather than altered.

Type	Notes	Semitones	Span	Omissions and additions	Set relation
Shell, root 9 3	C2 D3 E3	16	220 mm	omits G	subset
Guide tones, 3 and 9	E3 D4	10	138 mm	omits C and G	subset
Rootless close	E3 G3 B3 D4	10	138 mm	omits C	subset

Spans are measured centre to centre at a 165 mm octave (standard keyboard geometry).

Position	Bass note	Notes in order	Figured bass	Semitones	Span
Root position	C	C3, E3, G3, B3, D4	9	14	193 mm
First inversion: Cmaj9/E	E	E3, G3, B3, C4, D4	7/6/5	10	138 mm
Second inversion: Cmaj9/G	G	G3, B3, C4, D4, E4	7/4/3	9	124 mm
Third inversion: Cmaj9/B	B	B3, C4, D4, E4, G4	7/4/2	8	110 mm
Fourth inversion: Cmaj9/D	D	D3, E3, G3, B3, C4	9/7/5	10	138 mm

One position per chord tone in the bass. Spans are for close position: voiced inversions appear under Voicings.

Change one note

Chords a single note away, and what moving that note does.

Chord	Change	Formula	Common tones
Cmaj7	drops D	1 3 5 7	4
Cadd9	drops B	1 3 5 9	4
C9	B becomes B♭	1 3 5 ♭7 9	4
C7	B, D becomes B♭	1 3 5 ♭7	3
CmMaj7	E, D becomes E♭	1 ♭3 5 7	3
C6	B, D becomes A	1 3 5 6	3
Cm9	E, B becomes E♭, B♭	1 ♭3 5 ♭7 9	3

Frequencies

Note	MIDI	Frequency
C3	48	130.81 Hz
E3	52	164.81 Hz
G3	55	196.00 Hz
B3	59	246.94 Hz
D4	62	293.66 Hz

Reference pitch A440, 12-TET, close root position.

Set theory: prime form, Forte number, interval vector

Absolute pitch class set: {0, 4, 7, 11, 2}
Normal order: [11, 0, 2, 4, 7]
Prime form: (01358)
Forte number: not claimed for this cardinality
Interval vector: <122230>

Pair	Interval	Semitones	Interval class
C to E	Major third	4	4
C to G	Perfect fifth	7	5
C to B	Major seventh	11	1
C to D	Major ninth	14	2
E to G	Minor third	3	3
E to B	Perfect fifth	7	5
E to D	Minor seventh	10	2
G to B	Major third	4	4
G to D	Perfect fifth	7	5
B to D	Minor third	3	3

Where these facts come from

Every value on this page is derived from the note formula for a major 9th applied to the root C, using standard music theory. Nothing here is hand-entered per chord, so the notes, intervals, inversions and frequencies cannot drift out of agreement with each other. Pitches assume 12-TET at A440.

C Major 9th

Fingerings

C Major 9th: notes and degrees