D9 chord
D9 is D, F♯, A, C and E: 1–3–5–♭7–9 built on D. Below: guitar, piano and ukulele, each playable.
On guitar
x-5-4-5-3-0 · open · medium
- Notes
- D · F♯ · A · C · E
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · 5 · ♭7 · 9
- First shape
- x-5-4-5-3-0
D9 on guitar: every shape, finger by finger
On piano
root position · D–F♯–A–C–E · right hand 1-2-3-4-5
- Notes
- D · F♯ · A · C · E
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · 5 · ♭7 · 9
D9 on piano: fingering and inversions
On ukulele
5-4-2-5 · movable · medium
- Notes
- D · F♯ · A · C · E
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · 5 · ♭7 · 9
- First shape
- 5-4-2-5
Changing out of D9
Three changes cover most of what D9 does in songs.
- D9 → G (dominant, pulls to the chord a fifth below)
Guitar: D9 (x-5-4-5-3-0) to G (3-2-0-0-0-3): move the index finger to the A string, 2nd fret, move the middle finger to the low E string, 3rd fret, the ring finger goes to the high E string, 3rd fret. Nothing carries over, so drill it slowly, lifting and landing all fingers at once. D carries over from one chord to the other.
Piano: D9 to G: play G in 2nd inversion (D–G–B) and D stays under the same finger, while F♯ moves up to G and C down to B. G - D9 → Gmaj7 (I in G major)
Guitar: D9 (x-5-4-5-3-0) to Gmaj7 (3-2-0-0-0-2): the index finger goes to the A string, 2nd fret, your middle finger lands on the high E string, 2nd fret, move the ring finger to the low E string, 3rd fret. No finger can stay, so practice lifting all of them together and landing the new shape as a unit. Listen for D and F♯, which stay put while the rest moves.
Piano: D9 to Gmaj7: play Gmaj7 in 2nd inversion (D–F♯–G–B) and D and F♯ stay under the same fingers, while A moves down to G and C down to B. Gmaj7 - D9 → Em7 (vi in G major)
Guitar: D9 (x-5-4-5-3-0) to Em7 (0-2-0-0-0-0): your index finger lands on the A string, 2nd fret. Shared notes: D and E.
Piano: D9 to Em7: play Em7 in 1st inversion (G–B–D–E) and E stays under the same finger, while F♯ moves up to G, C down to B and C up to D. Em7
Guitar with a capo: capo 2, C9 shape. Ukulele with a capo: capo 2, C9 shape.
How D9 is built
D9 is a dominant ninth: D7 with the ninth on top. It has the pull of a seventh chord with a funkier, fuller color, and like D7 it leans toward G.
Count keys (black and white) from D: 4 half steps up to F♯, 3 half steps up to A, 3 half steps up to C then 4 half steps up to E.
| Note | Role | Half steps | Hear it |
|---|---|---|---|
| D | root | 0 | |
| F♯ | major third | 4 | |
| A | perfect fifth | 7 | |
| C | minor seventh | 10 | |
| E | ninth | 14 |
Keys and progressions with D9
D9 isn't a chord of any major or natural minor key, so it usually appears as a passing or borrowed chord.
Chords close to D9
- D9 is D7 plus E. D7
Chords that share most of their notes with D9: D7, Dadd9, F♯m7♭5, Am6, D, Dsus2.
Every D chord
D9 chord: questions
What notes are in the D9 chord?
D, F♯, A, C and E. D9 is built 1–3–5–♭7–9 from D: F♯ is the major third, A is the perfect fifth, C is the minor seventh and E is the ninth.
How do you play D9 on guitar?
The usual shape is x-5-4-5-3-0 (open). All 3 guitar shapes.
How do you play D9 on piano?
Play D, F♯, A, C and E with right-hand fingers 1-2-3-4-5. D sits between the two black keys. Inversions and left hand.
How do you play D9 on ukulele?
5-4-2-5 in standard GCEA tuning. More ukulele shapes.
What key is D9 in?
D9 isn't a chord of any major or natural minor key, so it usually appears as a passing or borrowed chord.
What's the difference between D9 and D7?
D9 is D7 plus E.
Every diagram on this page is generated from the notes D, F♯, A, C and E and checked automatically so the sound matches the drawing. Updated September 2026.