D Major 9th Bass Chord
All positions and voicings on the fretboard
D Major 9th filtered by fret:
No playable voicings found for this chord on bass. This chord type requires more notes than the bass guitar's 4 strings can voice. Try a simpler chord type.
D Major 9th — chord details
The D Major 9th chord is made up of the following notes: D, F#, A, C#, E.
Intervals: 1P, 3M, 5P, 7M, 9M.
The diagrams above show every voicing and chord variation for D Major 9th on bass guitar. Use the fret filter to narrow down voicings within a specific fret range — ideal for bass lines, chord fills, and double stops.
The D major ninth extends the major seventh chord by adding the ninth, creating a five-note voicing with D, F#, A, C#, E (intervals 1P, 3M, 5P, 7M, 9M). The added ninth introduces extra color and spaciousness, resulting in a chord that sounds lush, modern, and impressionistic. Major ninths are staples in contemporary jazz, neo-soul, and R&B, lending arrangements a refined harmonic complexity.
How to Play D Major 9th
D maj9 can be voiced in multiple ways depending on your instrument and musical context. Experiment with different inversions and positions to find voicings that connect smoothly to surrounding chords in your progression.
D Major 9th in Progressions
D maj9 appears in various harmonic contexts depending on the key. Analyze the surrounding chords to determine its function — it may serve as a primary chord, a substitution, or a chromatic color chord that enriches the harmonic palette of a progression.
Common Substitutions
Dmaj7, D6/9, or Dadd9 provide simpler alternatives with similar brightness.
Difficulty: On guitar, this chord is intermediate — a barre or partial barre is likely needed, but the shape is manageable with practice.