C♯9 chord on ukulele

C♯9 is C♯, E♯, G♯, B and D♯. The usual shape is 4-3-1-4. Play it once at full speed, then at a quarter to hear every note.

How to play C♯9 on ukulele

Shape 1, 4-3-1-4, reading from the G string on the left:

1. Put your index finger on the E string at the 1st fret, which is E♯.
2. Put your middle finger on the C string at the 3rd fret, which is D♯.
3. Put your ring finger on the G string at the 4th fret, which is B.
4. Put your pinky finger on the A string at the 4th fret, which is C♯.

• The pinky takes a note here. Keep it curved and close to the fretboard between chords so it has less distance to travel.
• The shape stretches across four frets. Bring your thumb lower behind the neck to open the hand up.
• Strum with the pad of your index finger or thumb, all four strings, across the spot where the neck meets the body.

Other ways to play C♯9

• 6-5-7-6: movable shape at the 5th fret, medium. Same notes, stacked differently, so it sounds a little different.
• 8-11-9-8: movable shape at the 8th fret, medium. Higher up the neck it sounds brighter; handy when another guitar is already playing a lower shape.

C♯9 the capo way

No barre needed if a capo is allowed: capo on the 1st fret and play the open C9 shape (0-2-0-1). The chord sounds as C♯9 because the capo raises every string by a half step.

Changing from C♯9 to the chords around it

These are the changes you'll meet most often with C♯9, using the first shape of each chord.

• F♯ (dominant, pulls to the chord a fifth below): C♯9 (4-3-1-4) to F♯ (3-1-2-1): the index finger slides across to the C string at the same fret, your middle finger lands on the A string, 1st fret, move the ring finger to the E string, 2nd fret. Nothing carries over, so drill it slowly, lifting and landing all fingers at once. The two chords share C♯, which is why the change sounds smooth. F♯ on ukulele
• F♯maj7 (I in F♯ major): C♯9 (4-3-1-4) to F♯maj7 (3-5-2-4): move the index finger to the E string, 2nd fret, the middle finger slides across to the G string at the same fret, the ring finger goes to the A string, 4th fret. Nothing carries over, so drill it slowly, lifting and landing all fingers at once. Shared notes: C♯ and E♯. F♯maj7 on ukulele
• E♭m7 (vi in F♯ major): C♯9 (4-3-1-4) to E♭m7 (3-3-2-4): your pinky finger stays put, the index finger goes to the E string, 2nd fret, the middle finger slides across to the G string at the same fret, your ring finger lands on the C string, 3rd fret. Listen for C♯ and D♯, which stay put while the rest moves. E♭m7 on ukulele

C♯9 is a dominant ninth: C♯7 with the ninth on top. With four strings, shape 1 leaves out the perfect fifth (G♯); the ear fills it in, and the chord still reads as C♯9. The usual guitar shape, x-4-1-4-2-1, drops G♯ too. On ukulele you hear it best picked slowly, string by string.

Getting C♯9 under your fingers

Arpeggiate 4-3-1-4 from the lowest string: B, D♯, E♯, C♯. Then strum it and listen for the same 4 notes together. Next, alternate 4-3-1-4 and 6-5-7-6, slowly, until the change takes less than a beat.

You may also see it as D♭9; nothing changes on the ukulele.

C♯9 in context

C♯9 on guitar and piano

C♯9 on guitar and piano uses the same 5 notes in a different layout. See all three together.

Close to C♯9

• C♯7
• C♯add9
• C♯
• C♯m7

Other dominant ninth chords

• C9
• D9
• E♭9
• E9
• F9
• F♯9
• G9
• A♭9
• A9
• B♭9
• B9

Shapes and sound are generated from the notes C♯, E♯, G♯, B and D♯ and tested automatically. Updated September 2026. Print this chord