What notes are in the C9 chord?

C9 is made of C, E, A# and D: the root, major 3rd, minor 7th and major 2nd above C.

What is the easiest way to play C9?

Play x30310 (low E to high E): mute the low E string, let the D and high E strings ring open.

C9 chord on guitar

C9 is a dominant ninth chord: funky and full. It is built from C, E, A# and D (formula 1 3 ♭7 9). Dominant ninths are the classic funk and soul rhythm chord, and a richer swap for a plain seventh. The easiest way to play it in standard tuning is x30310.

x 3 0 3 1 0

x 3 2 3 3 0

x 3 0 3 3 0

8 5 8 5 5 8

x x 10 9 11 10

C9 fingerings (low E to high E)

Open position: x30310. Mute the low E string, let the D and high E strings ring open.
Open position: x32330. Mute the low E string, let the high E string ring open.
Open position: x30330. Mute the low E string, let the D and high E strings ring open.
Barre at fret 5: 858558. Barre fret 5 from the A to the B string.
Fret 9: x-x-10-9-11-10. Mute the low E and A strings.

Questions

What notes are in the C9 chord?: C9 is made of C, E, A# and D: the root, major 3rd, minor 7th and major 2nd above C.
What is the easiest way to play C9?: Play x30310 (low E to high E): mute the low E string, let the D and high E strings ring open.

Also try: C Major · C Minor · C7 · Cmaj7 · Chord Charts