Dmmaj9

DmMaj9 is D, F, A, C# and E, a minor major ninth. The shape this page opens on is written x53650, lowest string first.

Also written DmM9, Dm(maj9) or D-Δ9. The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 8 common shapes for DmMaj9 on the guitar, and 34 derived voicings in 5 families.

The common shapes, written lowest string first: x53650, x70665, 587655, x-8-0-9-10-9, 10-8-x-9-10-9, 10-8-11-9-x-x, 10-12-11-10-10-12, 12-12-12-14-14-13.

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. DmMaj9 has x5365x, 10-8-11-9-x-x, x-x-12-10-14-12.

Drop 2. A close-position chord with the second voice from the top lowered an octave. Sits on four adjacent strings. DmMaj9 has x5365x, 10-8-11-9-x-x, x-x-12-10-14-12, 1526xx, xx2631, x-7-11-7-6-x, x-x-11-9-6-10.

Drop 3. The third voice from the top lowered an octave. The dropped voice becomes the bass, which is why a string is skipped. DmMaj9 has x7x769, 12-x-12-10-14-x, x5x651, 1x263x, 10-x-11-9-6-x.

Rootless. The root left to the bass player. Frees a finger for a tension. DmMaj9 has xx2221, x7766x, x-x-11-10-10-12, x-x-14-14-14-13, x4x251, x4325x, xx3655, x7x665.

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. DmMaj9 has 070665, 04300x, x43000, 00302x, x03020, 040060.

Tensions. A shell of DmMaj9, 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.