Piano chord · also written D♭m9

C♯ Minor 9th Piano Chord (C♯m9)

The C♯ Minor 9th chord on piano is made of the notes C♯, E, G♯, B and D♯. Smooth and complex. A minor 7th with an added 9th.

C♯ Minor 9th chord on a piano keyboard: C♯, E, G♯, B, D♯ C4C5 C♯ E G♯ B D♯

C♯m9 C♯ – E – G♯ – B – D♯

Tap any key to hear it.

Name any chord from its keys in the chord finder →

What notes are in C♯ Minor 9th?

5 notes, built 1 – ♭3 – 5 – ♭7 – 9 up from C♯.

Notes
C♯ – E – G♯ – B – D♯
Formula
1 – ♭3 – 5 – ♭7 – 9
Semitones from the root
0 – 3 – 7 – 10 – 14
Symbol
C♯m9
Same keys as
D♭m9 (D♭ – F♭ – A♭ – C♭ – E♭)
Chord type
Minor 9th, 5 notes

How to play C♯ Minor 9th on piano

C♯ Minor 9th spans more than an octave, so it is usually split between the hands.

  • Left hand: C♯ and G♯ (fingers 5 and 1).
  • Right hand: E, B, D♯ (fingers 1, 3 and 5).
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C♯ Minor 9th inversions

Each inversion puts a different note of the chord in the bass. Written as a slash chord: C♯m9/E, C♯m9/G♯, C♯m9/B.

C♯ Minor 9th root position on piano: C♯, E, G♯, B, D♯ C♯ E G♯ B D♯
Root position C♯m9 C♯ – E – G♯ – B – D♯
C♯ Minor 9th 1st inversion on piano: E, G♯, B, C♯, D♯ E G♯ B C♯ D♯
1st inversion C♯m9/E E – G♯ – B – C♯ – D♯
C♯ Minor 9th 2nd inversion on piano: G♯, B, C♯, D♯, E G♯ B C♯ D♯ E
2nd inversion C♯m9/G♯ G♯ – B – C♯ – D♯ – E
C♯ Minor 9th 3rd inversion on piano: B, C♯, D♯, E, G♯ B C♯ D♯ E G♯
3rd inversion C♯m9/B B – C♯ – D♯ – E – G♯

Progressions with C♯ Minor 9th

Press play: the chords move across the keyboard as they sound, voiced so your hand barely moves.

Sad pop progression

in E major

  1. vi9 C♯m9
  2. IVmaj7 Amaj7
  3. Imaj7 Emaj7
  4. V7 B7
Sad pop progression in E major: C♯m9, Amaj7, Emaj7, B7 B C♯ D♯ E G♯

ii–V–I

in B major

  1. ii9 C♯m9
  2. V7 F♯7
  3. Imaj7 Bmaj7
ii–V–I in B major: C♯m9, F♯7, Bmaj7 B C♯ D♯ E G♯

Can you find C♯ Minor 9th?

Tap the notes on the keyboard, then check. Six chords, starting with this one.

1 / 6 Tap the notes of C♯ Minor 9th (C♯m9)

Score 0

Any octave, any order. Each key you tap plays.

Practice keyboard: tap the notes of the chord

What key is C♯ Minor 9th in?

The keys whose scale contains every note of C♯m9, with the chord’s Roman numeral in each.

Major keys

  • B majorii9
  • A majoriii9
  • E majorvi9

Minor keys

  • C♯ minori9
  • G♯ minoriv9
  • F♯ minorv9

C♯ Minor 9th chord FAQ

What notes are in the C♯ Minor 9th chord?

C♯ Minor 9th (C♯m9) has 5 notes: C♯, E, G♯, B and D♯. Its formula is 1 – ♭3 – 5 – ♭7 – 9, counted up from C♯.

How do you play C♯ Minor 9th on the piano?

Spread it over two hands: the left hand plays C♯ and G♯ (fingers 5 and 1), the right hand plays E, B, D♯ (fingers 1, 3 and 5).

Is C♯ Minor 9th the same as D♭ Minor 9th?

On the piano, yes: D♭m9 (D♭, F♭, A♭, C♭, E♭) uses exactly the same keys as C♯m9 (C♯, E, G♯, B, D♯). Which name is used depends on the key of the piece; C♯m9 is the more common spelling.

What are the inversions of C♯ Minor 9th?

1st inversion: E, G♯, B, C♯, D♯ (C♯m9/E). 2nd inversion: G♯, B, C♯, D♯, E (C♯m9/G♯). 3rd inversion: B, C♯, D♯, E, G♯ (C♯m9/B).

What key is C♯ Minor 9th in?

C♯m9 belongs to B major (ii9), A major (iii9), E major (vi9), C♯ minor (i9), G♯ minor (iv9) and F♯ minor (v9).

Other C♯ chords

Minor 9th chords on every root

Piano chord chart: all 264 chords Open C♯m9 in the chord finder Free PDF chord chart Play it on the virtual piano