C69

C69 is C, E, G, A and D, a six-nine. The shape this page opens on is written x32233, lowest string first.

Also written C6/9, C6add9 or C six nine. The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 9 common shapes for C69 on the guitar, and 50 derived voicings in 5 families.

In which keys. Every note of C69 belongs to C major (the I), D minor (the ♭VII), E minor (the ♭VI), F major (the V), G major (the IV) and A minor (the ♭III).

The common shapes, written lowest string first: x32233, x30055, x55555, 877788, x-x-10-9-10-10, x-10-10-9-10-10, x-12-12-12-13-12, x-15-12-14-13-12, x-15-14-14-15-15.

Shell. Root, third and seventh: the guide tones fix the quality, so the fifth is dropped. That is what leaves a string free, so pick a tension to put on top. C69 has x3223x, 8777xx, x-x-10-9-10-10, x-15-14-14-15-x.

Drop 2. A close-position chord with the second voice from the top lowered an octave. Sits on four adjacent strings. C69 has xx0210, 0302xx, x3223x, x5755x, 8777xx, x-x-10-9-10-10, x-x-12-14-13-12, x-15-14-14-15-x.

Drop 3. The third voice from the top lowered an octave. The dropped voice becomes the bass, which is why a string is skipped. C69 has 0x021x, 5x253x, x3x230, x5x555, 8x775x, x-7-x-7-10-8, 10-x-10-9-10-x, x-12-x-9-13-10.

Rootless. The root left to the bass player. Frees a finger for a tension. C69 has x0203x, xx2233, xx5755, x7778x, x-x-12-12-10-12, x-x-14-14-15-15, x5525x, x5x253.

Open string. An open string left ringing against a fretted grip. Because it costs no finger, it sounds a note the closed shape has none left for -- a tension on top, or a pedal root underneath. Either a familiar grip with open strings added, or a shape so sparse the open strings carry the chord. These belong to their key rather than to a shape, so D, A, G and E have many and Eb a handful. C69 has 00007x, x00070, 000032, 0x0075, 5x0070, 0005xx.

Tensions. A shell of C69, root, third and seventh, leaves a string free, and the tones that belong over it are the #11 (F#).

The common shapes and the derived voicings come from different places, and both are explained in where the chords and the theory come from.