C Major Ninth Ukulele Arpeggio
Ukulele arpeggio — fretboard diagram
C Major Ninth Arpeggio — Notes and Intervals
Notes: C, E, G, B, D
Intervals: 1P, 3M, 5P, 7M, 9M
Formula: 2W-WH-2W-WH
Number of notes: 5
Also known as: maj9, Δ9, ^9
The C Major Ninth arpeggio contains 5 notes (C, E, G, B, D). Use the interactive fretboard above to explore this arpeggio on Ukulele with different tunings and fret ranges.
When to Use the C Major Ninth Arpeggio
Play the C Major Ninth arpeggio whenever a C Major Ninth chord appears in a progression. Unlike scales (which include passing tones), arpeggios guarantee every note you play IS a chord tone, making your solo sound harmonically precise and intentional.
Arpeggio vs. Scale
The C Major Ninth arpeggio uses 5 notes (C, E, G, B, D) while the full scale uses 7. The arpeggio is a subset — think of it as the skeleton of the scale. Practice alternating between the arpeggio and the full scale to develop a melodic vocabulary that mixes chord tones with passing tones.
How to Play C Major Ninth Arpeggio on Ukulele
On ukulele, find C around the open strings and play through the arpeggio tones (C, E, G, B, D). You may need to move beyond a single chord shape to reach all 5 notes. Practice connecting the arpeggio tones smoothly across adjacent fret positions.
The C Major Ninth arpeggio outlines a C major chord and works perfectly over C, Cmaj7, C6 harmonies. It is a foundational arpeggio for soloing over major-key progressions and emphasizes the bright, resolved character of the major triad.
Practice Routine
Play the C Major Ninth arpeggio as whole notes over a backing track or drone on C. Focus on intonation and tone quality for each of the 5 notes (C, E, G, B, D). After a few passes, begin improvising short melodic phrases built from these arpeggio tones, connecting them with passing notes.
Ukulele Tips
The ukulele's re-entrant tuning creates natural voice leading within the C Major Ninth arpeggio. Experiment with picking patterns that take advantage of the high G string to create unexpected interval leaps within the arpeggio shape.