C9 Ukulele Chord

C9 is the C dominant ninth chord. On ukulele it keeps four of its five notes: C, E, B flat and D, with the fifth left out. The standard shape needs three fingers, because the open E string already supplies the third.

Three fingers in the first three frets with the open E string as the third. The seventh sits on the G string and the root on the A string.

How to play C9 on ukulele, step by step

Index finger: 2nd fret, C string
Middle finger: 3rd fret, G string
Ring finger: 3rd fret, A string
Leave the E string open. Strum all four strings.

Play C7 first, which is one finger at the 1st fret, then move to this shape. Hearing the seventh chord grow a ninth is the fastest way to learn what the extra note adds.

More ways to play C9

There are 3 common C9 shapes: the standard one at the top of the page, plus these further up the neck. You only ever need one. Tap any card to hear it.

C9 ukulele chord diagram, frets 3 to 5, played 3005 — Frets 3 to 5

C9 ukulele chord diagram, frets 6 to 7, played 7067 — Frets 6 to 7

If it sounds uneven

The open E string gets caught: The middle finger presses the C string beside it. Keep that finger arched; the open E is the chord's third, and brushing it kills the note that makes C9 major.
The two 3rd fret notes are unequal: The middle and ring fingers press the G and A strings at the same fret. Let them lean together as a pair so both notes take the same weight.
It sounds like plain C: The 2nd fret note on the C string is D, the ninth, and the 3rd fret note on the G string is B flat, the seventh. Miss either and the chord collapses back toward C major.

What makes it a C9

C · E · G · B♭ · D 1 3 5 ♭7 9

C9 is a C7 chord with a ninth added: C, E and B flat carry the seventh chord and the D is the ninth. A ukulele has four strings for those five notes, so the fifth, G, is left out. It is the note a ninth chord misses least, and guitar ninth grips drop it too.

It is the V chord of F and the I chord of a blues in C. The ninth keeps the pull of C7 toward F while sounding smoother and more arranged.

C9 vs C7

C9 adds a D on top of C7. Both push toward F, but C7 has a bare, old blues edge and C9 sounds like the same change scored for a band.

C7 on ukulele is famously one finger. C9 costs two more fingers and buys a rounder, jazzier colour; songs in F use both for contrast.

C9 chord questions

Why is there no G in these shapes?

A ukulele has four strings and C9 has five notes. The fifth is the least missed note in a ninth chord, so it is the one left out.

Is C9 hard after C7?

Not very. C7 is one finger and C9 is three, but two of them sit at the same fret and the open E string still does part of the work.

What is the difference between C9 and Cadd9?

C9 contains B flat, the flat seventh, and behaves like a blues chord heading for F. Cadd9 has no seventh and is simply a brighter C major.

Where is C9 used?

As the V chord in F, as the I chord of a blues in C, and in swing, soul and jazz tunes in flat friendly keys.

Do all these shapes really drop the fifth?

Yes. Each one keeps the root, third, seventh and ninth, which are the notes that define the chord. Add a bass player and nothing is missing at all.