Dmaj9 Ukulele Chord

Dmaj9 is the D major ninth chord. It has five notes: D, F sharp, A, C sharp and E, so on four strings the fifth is left out. The standard shape runs diagonally from the 4th to the 7th fret with the open E string sounding the ninth.

Three fretted notes on a diagonal from the 4th to the 7th fret with the open E string ringing as the ninth. Root on the G string at the 7th.

How to play Dmaj9 on ukulele, step by step

Index finger: 4th fret, A string
Middle finger: 6th fret, C string
Ring finger: 7th fret, G string
Leave the E string open. Strum all four strings.

The open E string is the ninth itself, which is why the shape works: three fretted notes carry root, third and seventh, and the tuning donates the note that names the chord.

More ways to play Dmaj9

There are 2 common Dmaj9 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.

Dmaj9 ukulele chord diagram, frets 6 to 9, played 7697 — Frets 6 to 9

If notes drop out

The open E string is muffled: The index on the A string at the 4th fret is leaning into it. Stand the finger up; the open E is the ninth and the chord is plain Dmaj7 without it.
The diagonal from the 4th to the 7th fret feels long: Index, middle and ring climb one string each. Angle the hand so the fingers fall in a line along the neck instead of reaching across it.
The G string note is weak: The ring finger holds the root at the 7th fret, the highest reach in the shape. Press just behind the fret and let the hand's weight help.

What makes it a Dmaj9

D · F♯ · A · C♯ · E 1 3 5 7 9

Dmaj9 is a Dmaj7 chord with a ninth added: D, F sharp, A and C sharp make the seventh chord, and the E on top makes it a ninth. On a ukulele the fifth, A, is dropped from the fretted shape: four strings hold four notes, and the fifth is the note the ear misses least. Here the open E string supplies the ninth itself.

It is the I chord of D major at its softest. D is a friendly ukulele key, so this is one of the ninths that actually comes up in strummed music, wherever plain D or Dmaj7 wants to sound a little wider.

Dmaj9 vs Dmaj7

Dmaj9 is Dmaj7 with an E added. The seventh already softens the chord; the ninth widens it and makes it sound arranged rather than strummed.

On the ukulele the ninth costs position: Dmaj7 sits in the first frets while both Dmaj9 shapes live past the 4th. The trade is a wider, more deliberate colour.

Dmaj9 chord questions

Why is there no A in the shapes?

Four strings hold four of the five notes, and the fifth is the one a ninth chord can spare. Root, third, seventh and ninth are all here.

Is there a Dmaj9 near the nut?

No. Every low combination of the four strings loses a note the chord cannot spare, so the lowest honest shape starts at the 4th fret.

What is the difference between Dmaj9 and Dadd9?

Dmaj9 contains the C sharp, the major seventh. Dadd9 has no seventh: it is plain D with an E added, brighter and simpler.

What is the difference between Dmaj9 and D9?

D9 has a C natural, the flat seventh, and pulls toward G. Dmaj9 has a C sharp and stays put.

Where is Dmaj9 used?

As the I chord of D major in jazz, bossa nova and soul, and in any song in D where Dmaj7 is written and a wider sound fits.