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Chord & Fret

Cm9 on electric guitar

Cm9 on electric guitar — frets × 3 0 0 4 6Cm93123×CDGEbBb
Frets: × 3 0 0 4 6

On the electric guitar a chord needs only a few clear notes — the amp sustains them and fills the space, so you mute the strings you are not playing and let the tone carry the rest. In this position the bass is C and the shape runs from fret 3 to 6, ringing 2 open strings. Plugged into an amp, each chord sustains for as long as you hold it, and the tone — clean or driven — shapes the whole sound.

Notes on C: C – Eb – G – Bb – DFormula: 1 – b3 – 5 – b7 – 9

In the formula, the numbers count steps of the major scale starting from the note that names the chord; "b" lowers a half step, "#" raises one — and a slash names the bass note.

Where to use it: The heart of neo-soul and R&B vamps — that is, those short two-chord passages that loop over and over while the melody floats on top. It also works as the arrival chord in a minor key, smoother and more modern than a plain m7.

The shapes of Cm9 on electric guitar don't end on this page — the whole neck holds dozens. In Chord & Fret, you check it note by note, playing any shape as an arpeggio; compare positions with their difficulty marked; and change the tuning — the shape rewrites itself. Start free. Unlock everything with Pro. 100% offline.

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Part of the Extended family.

See the full explanation of Cm9 →