C#maj9 Chord on Guitar
C#maj9 = C# – F – G# – C – D# (Root, Major 3rd, Perfect 5th, Major 7th, Major 9th)
C#maj9 stacks a major seventh and a ninth on top of a plain major triad, producing one of the smoothest, least tense chords in common use — a genuinely lush sound carrying none of the pull-toward-resolution a dominant chord has. At the ninth fret this E-shape barre keeps a full major-seventh-family shape intact with the ninth layered on top, fuller than the plain maj7 chord it's built from.
The notes are C#, F, G#, C, and D# — root, third, fifth, major seventh, ninth — and it's worth being precise with the name here: 'maj9' means a major seventh plus a ninth, distinct from a plain '9' chord, which uses a flat seventh and functions as a dominant chord pulling toward resolution. C#maj9 has no such pull; it's a restful, complete-sounding chord in its own right, closely associated with smoother jazz harmony and the lush, layered chords common in neo-soul and dream-pop guitar writing.
Fingerings
Barre (9th fret)
How to Practice It
This voicing shares its overall shape with the plain maj7 chord a few entries earlier in this cluster, with the ninth added as an extra layered note, so comparing the two directly shows exactly how much richer the additional note makes the chord sound for a relatively small increase in fingering complexity. Because maj9 chords are meant to sound smooth and resolved, practice letting the chord ring fully rather than muting it quickly — the whole point of this voicing is the space it creates.
Common Progressions
- C#maj9 – A#m7 – D#m7 – G#7 (Imaj9 – vi7 – ii7 – V7, a rich jazz-pop turnaround)
- F#maj9 – C#maj9 (IV – I, an unresolved-feeling major cadence)
- C#maj9 – Fm7 – A#m7 – F#maj9 (leaning into a neo-soul-style texture)
- C#maj9 – G#/C – A#m7 – F#maj9 (I – V/3 – vi – IV, staying lush and extended the whole way)
FAQ
- Is C#maj9 the same as C#9?
- No — C#maj9 uses a major seventh and sounds restful and resolved, while C#9 uses a flat seventh and sounds like a dominant chord actively pulling toward resolution, a genuinely different harmonic role despite the similar-looking names.
- Why does C#maj9 sound so smooth?
- It has no flat seventh or altered tone anywhere in its structure — every note is a diatonic extension of the major scale — so there's no built-in dissonance demanding resolution.
- What genres favor maj9 chords like this one?
- Smoother jazz styles, neo-soul, and dream-pop guitar writing all lean on maj9 chords for their lush, unresolved-but-not-tense color, using them as home-base chords rather than passing ones.
- How does C#maj9 relate to plain C#maj7?
- It's the maj7 chord with a ninth layered on top, sharing the same core identity but sounding noticeably richer with that added extension.
- Does C#maj9 ever function as a dominant chord?
- No — its major seventh keeps it firmly in the restful, tonic-function camp; only chords built with a flat seventh create the tension needed to function as a true dominant.
- Is the ninth-fret barre the only way to play C#maj9?
- No — many guitarists use a lower-position, partial voicing instead, especially in fingerstyle playing where maj9 chords often appear in intimate, arpeggiated contexts.
- How does C#maj9 sit next to the dominant chords sharing this same fret?
- It's the calm counterpoint to them — where C#9, C#11, and C#13 all push toward resolving somewhere else, C#maj9 is content to just sit and be listened to, which is a useful contrast to notice while practicing this whole cluster together.
C#maj9 on other instruments: C#maj9 on Piano. Related: how chords are built, chord finder.