D# Minor/major Ninth Ukulele Arpeggio
Ukulele arpeggio — fretboard diagram
D# Minor/major Ninth Arpeggio — Notes and Intervals
Notes: D#, F#, A#, D, F
Intervals: 1P, 3m, 5P, 7M, 9M
Formula: WH-2W-2W-WH
Number of notes: 5
Also known as: mM9, mMaj9, -^9
The D# Minor/major Ninth arpeggio contains 5 notes (D#, F#, A#, D, F). Use the interactive fretboard above to explore this arpeggio on Ukulele with different tunings and fret ranges.
When to Use the D# Minor/major Ninth Arpeggio
Play the D# Minor/major Ninth arpeggio whenever a D# Minor/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 D# Minor/major Ninth arpeggio uses 5 notes (D#, F#, A#, D, F) 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 D# Minor/major Ninth Arpeggio on Ukulele
On ukulele, find D# around fret 2 and play through the arpeggio tones (D#, F#, A#, D, F). 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 D# Minor/major Ninth arpeggio outlines a D# minor chord and fits naturally over D#m, D#m7, D#m6 voicings. Use it to bring out the darker, expressive quality of minor harmony in your solos and melodies.
Practice Routine
Play the D# Minor/major Ninth arpeggio as whole notes over a backing track or drone on D#. Focus on intonation and tone quality for each of the 5 notes (D#, F#, A#, D, F). 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 D# Minor/major Ninth arpeggio. Experiment with picking patterns that take advantage of the high G string to create unexpected interval leaps within the arpeggio shape.