Dmaj9

Dmaj9 is D, F#, A, C# and E, a major ninth. The shape this page opens on is written x52222, lowest string first.

Also written DM9, DΔ9, Dma9 or D major 9. The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 12 common shapes for Dmaj9 on the guitar, and 39 derived voicings in 5 families.

In which keys. Every note of Dmaj9 belongs to D major (the I), F# minor (the ♭VI), A major (the IV) and B minor (the ♭III).

The common shapes, written lowest string first: x52222, x5465x, 55465x, x90979, x77779, xx7979, 10-7-7-7-7-9, 10-9-11-9-10-9, 10-12-11-11-10-12, x-x-11-11-10-12, x-x-12-11-14-12, 14-12-12-14-14-12.

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. Dmaj9 has x5465x, 10-9-11-9-x-x, x-x-12-11-14-12.

Drop 2. A close-position chord with the second voice from the top lowered an octave. Sits on four adjacent strings. Dmaj9 has x5465x, 10-9-11-9-x-x, 2526xx, xx2632, x-7-11-7-7-x, x-x-11-9-7-10, x-x-12-11-14-12, xx4759.

Drop 3. The third voice from the top lowered an octave. The dropped voice becomes the bass, which is why a string is skipped. Dmaj9 has x5x652, 2x263x, x7x779, 10-x-11-9-7-x, 12-x-12-11-14-x, 9x475x, x-9-x-9-14-10.

Rootless. The root left to the bass player. Frees a finger for a tension. Dmaj9 has xx2222, xx4655, x7767x, xx7979, x-9-11-9-10-x, x-x-11-11-10-12, x-x-14-14-14-14, x4425x.

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. Dmaj9 has 070675, 00460x, x04600, 00067x, x00670, 0x4600.

Tensions. A shell of Dmaj9, root, third and seventh, leaves a string free, and the tones that belong over it are the #11 (G#) and the 13 (B).

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