Cmin9
The Cmin9 chord (also known as C minor 9 and C-9), has a soft, but bright tone. It has that little bit more tension in the chord over c-7.
The notes in Cmin9 are:
D
Bb
G
Eb
C
The chord’s root ultimately determines the harmony. However, a lot of arpeggios have extra chords that you can refer to or play over the primary chord.
- From the Root: C-7
- From the 3rd: Eb△7
- From the 5th: G-
Bass
Treble
Arpeggio
A series of individual notes that form the chord are called an arpeggio. A chord tone is the name given to each note that makes up a chord.
The minor Scale
The minor Scale is perfect to use over Cmin9
The Dorian tetrachord and the Phrygian tetrachord are separated by a tone to form the minor scale.
Cmin9 Backing Track
Use the minor scale to practise playing along to Cmin9.
Find lines you can play over it by using your creativity. Make an attempt to internalise the sound to hone your hearing.
My books are bursting with several variations on how to play intervals, scales, melodies, and more, so if you’re struggling to come up with new ideas, check them out.
The simplest technique to invert this chord is to take off the bass note (C), which the bassist will cover. The resulting Eb△7 chord contains 4 notes, which you can invert as per usual. 5 note chords cannot be inverted because the voicings are too close and would create 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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