12 drop 2 voicings of Cmaj9 — C, E, G, B and D, on 3 string sets, in 4 inversions.
What a drop 2 is. A close-position chord with the second voice from the top lowered an octave. Sits on four adjacent strings.
| Shape | String set | Inversion | Position | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| x3243x | strings 5–4–3–2 | Root position — C in the bass, the root | around fret 2 | easy |
| 0304xx | strings 6–5–4–3 | 1st inversion — E in the bass, the 3rd | around fret 3 | easy |
| 8797xx | strings 6–5–4–3 | Root position — C in the bass, the root | around fret 7 | easy |
| xx0410 | strings 4–3–2–1 | 9th in bass — D in the bass, the 9th | open position | moderate |
| x5955x | strings 5–4–3–2 | 9th in bass — D in the bass, the 9th | around fret 5 | moderate |
| xx9758 | strings 4–3–2–1 | 3rd inversion — B in the bass, the 7th | around fret 5 | moderate |
| x-x-10-9-12-10 | strings 4–3–2–1 | Root position — C in the bass, the root | around fret 9 | moderate |
| xx2537 | strings 4–3–2–1 | 1st inversion — E in the bass, the 3rd | around fret 2 | stretch |
| 7525xx | strings 6–5–4–3 | 3rd inversion — B in the bass, the 7th | around fret 2 | stretch |
| x-7-10-7-12-x | strings 5–4–3–2 | 1st inversion — E in the bass, the 3rd | around fret 7 | stretch |
| 10-14-10-9-x-x | strings 6–5–4–3 | 9th in bass — D in the bass, the 9th | around fret 9 | stretch |
| x-14-12-9-13-x | strings 5–4–3–2 | 3rd inversion — B in the bass, the 7th | around fret 9 | stretch |
Shapes are written lowest string first, so x is a string you do not play. To hear these, play them, or see them against the chord’s other shapes, open the Cmaj9 chord page.
Shows each chord the way this style would voice it, and marks which of its alternatives belong to the idiom.