Ninth

Not to be confused with Ninth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution.

Major ninth on C. Play^ⓘ

In music or music theory a ninth is the note nine scale degrees from the root of chord (counting the root itself) and also the interval between the root and the ninth. Play major ninth^ⓘ as would occur between the first and transposed second degrees of a major scale.

Minor ninth on C. Play^ⓘ

In tonal music of common practice, the interval of a ninth is heard as a dissonance. A ninth is a compound second, but the ninth is considered less dissonant than the second.

Cmaj9 chord (see chord symbols) Play^ⓘ

A ninth chord or dominant ninth is a chord or dominant chord with a ninth, and as an extended chord typically includes the seventh along with the basic triad structure. Thus, a Cmaj9 consists of C E G B and D play^ⓘ. When the symbol "9" is not preceded by the word "major" or "maj", the implied seventh is a minor seventh -- e.g. a C9 consists of C E G B♭ and D play^ⓘ, and would usually be expected to resolve into a chord of F major (the implied key, C being the dominant of F).

Voice leading for dominant ninth chords in the common practice period. Play^ⓘ

In the common practice period, "the root, 3rd, 7th, and 9th are the most common factors present in the V⁹ chord," with the 5th, "typically omitted". The 9th and 7th usually resolve downward to the 5th and 3rd of I.

Cmi9 chord Play^ⓘ

The minor ninth chord is played with the third and seventh both flattened. The formula is 1, ♭3, 5, ♭7, 9. This chord is written as Cm9. This chord has a more "bluesy" sound and fits very well with the dominant 9th.

An added ninth chord is a major triad with an added ninth. Thus, Cadd9 consists of C E G and D. (The D, which might be called an added second, is two fifths up from the root.) Added ninth chords differ from other ninth chords because the seventh is not included.

The Hendrix chord uses a sharpened ninth. This is, enharmonically, the flatted third, and is tonally ambiguous or bitonal.

See also

• Jazz chord