CMaj9
The CMaj9 chord (also known as C Major 9 and C△9), has a distinctive and unique tone. The chord contains one more note than CMaj7 (D). With the added tension note, it is not as open as the 7th chord, but adds a more unique and beautiful quality.
The notes in CMaj9 are:
D
B
G
E
C
Within this chord also contains other chords which you can use to superimpose over a chord progression, particularly useful when soloing.
- From the Root: C△9
- From the 3rd: E-7
- From the 5th: G△
Bass
Treble
Arpeggio
A series of individual notes that form the chord are called an arpeggio. Each note is a chord tone.
The Major Scale
The Major Scale is perfect to use over Cmaj9
CMaj9 Backing Track
Use The Major Scale to play along to CMaj9. Try using your imagination to discover what lines you can play over it. To train your ear, make a sincere effort to internalise the sound.
If you’re having trouble coming up with new ideas, my books are filled with several variations on how to play intervals, scales, melodies, and more.
To create inversions of this chord, the simplest way is to remove the bass note (C) as that will be covered by the bass player. You are then left with 4 notes and the resulting E-7 chord where you can invert like normal. You can’t have inversions with 5 note chords as the voicings would be too close and cause too much tension.
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Other Chord Extensions
| Chord Name | Notes |
|---|---|
| Major Chords | |
| CMaj7 | C, E, G, B |
| CMaj9 | C, E, G, B, D |
| CMaj#11 | C, E, G, B, F# |
| CMaj13 | C, E, G, B, A |
| CMaj9(add13) | C, E, G, B, D, A |
| Minor Chords | |
| Cmin7 | C, Eb, G, Bb |
| Cmin9 | C, Eb, G, Bb, D |
| Cmin11 | C, Eb, G, Bb, F |
| Cmin13 | C, Eb, G, Bb, A |
| Dominant Chords | |
| C7 | C, E, G, Bb |
| C9 | C, E, G, Bb, D |
| C11 | C, E, G, Bb, F |
| C13 | C, E, G, Bb, A |
| Half Diminished Chords | |
| C-7b5 | C, Eb, Gb, Bb |
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