D9 chord on ukulele

D9 is D, F♯, A, C and E. The usual shape is 5-4-2-5. Play it once at full speed, then at a quarter to hear every note.

5-4-2-5 · movable · medium

Notes: D · F♯ · A · C · E
Formula: 1 · 3 · 5 · ♭7 · 9
First shape: 5-4-2-5

How to play D9 on ukulele

Shape 1, 5-4-2-5, reading from the G string on the left, starts at the 2nd fret:

F♯: index finger, 2nd fret of the E string.
E: middle finger, 4th fret of the C string.
C: ring finger, 5th fret of the G string.
D: pinky finger, 5th fret of the A string.

Your little finger has a job in this shape; it gets stronger in a week or two of short daily practice.
A four-fret stretch: drop your wrist a little and point your thumb up the back of the neck.
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 D9

7-6-8-7: movable shape at the 6th fret, medium. A different set of strings gives a different color of the same chord.
9-12-10-9: movable shape at the 9th fret, medium. Higher up the neck it sounds brighter; handy when another guitar is already playing a lower shape.

Capo shortcuts for D9

No barre needed if a capo is allowed: capo on the 2nd fret and play the open C9 shape (0-2-0-1). The chord sounds as D9 because the capo raises every string by 2 half steps.

Moving between D9 and its neighbours

The chords D9 usually goes to, and what changes under your fingers.

G (dominant, pulls to the chord a fifth below): D9 (5-4-2-5) to G (0-2-3-2): the index finger slides across to the C string at the same fret, move the middle finger to the A string, 2nd fret, the ring finger goes to the E string, 3rd fret. Nothing carries over, so drill it slowly, lifting and landing all fingers at once. Shared note: D. G on ukulele
Gmaj7 (I in G major): D9 (5-4-2-5) to Gmaj7 (0-2-2-2): the index finger slides across to the C string at the same fret, your middle finger lands on the E string, 2nd fret, move the ring finger to the A string, 2nd fret. Everything moves: lift the whole hand and place the new shape in one go. The two chords share D and F♯, which is why the change sounds smooth. Gmaj7 on ukulele
Em7 (vi in G major): D9 (5-4-2-5) to Em7 (0-2-0-2): the index finger slides across to the C string at the same fret, the middle finger goes to the A string, 2nd fret. Listen for D and E, which stay put while the rest moves. Em7 on ukulele

D9 is a dominant ninth: D7 with the ninth on top. With four strings, shape 1 leaves out the perfect fifth (A); the ear fills it in, and the chord still reads as D9. The usual guitar shape, x-5-4-5-3-0, drops A too. Play it once strummed and once picked to hear the difference.

Getting D9 under your fingers

Before strumming, play 5-4-2-5 note by note: C then E then F♯ then D. A dead note tells you exactly which finger to fix. Then switch to 7-6-8-7 and back four times without looking at your hand.

Where D9 shows up

D9 on guitar and piano

The same notes on another instrument: D9 on guitar and D9 on piano. This page puts all three side by side.

Close to D9

Other dominant ninth chords

D9 on ukulele: questions

What notes are in D9 on ukulele?

D, F♯, A, C and E. In the 5-4-2-5 shape the strings play C (G string), E (C string), F♯ (E string) and D (A string).

What's the easiest way to play D9 on ukulele?

D9 has no open-string shape in standard tuning, so every version needs a barre or a stretch. Start with 5-4-2-5. It uses 4 fingers and no barre, and in many songs a capo can take over part of the work.

Is D9 a barre chord on ukulele?

Not in its common form: 5-4-2-5 needs no barre.

Which string does D9 start on?

In the 5-4-2-5 shape the lowest string you play is the G string at the 5th fret, which is C, the minor seventh.

Every shape above plays only D, F♯, A, C and E, checked by the site's tests. Updated September 2026.