How to play D minor major 9 chord on guitar
Shape a70aa9
Shape characteristics
Partial barre
One finger presses two strings at the same fret. A lighter, less tiring grip than a full barre while still being fully movable.
Mid-neck · fret 7-10
Balanced tone, with neither the ringing openness of first position nor the bright snap of the upper register. Common choice for rhythm work when you want a fuller, more compact sound.
Full six-string voicing
All six strings ring, giving you the biggest, most resonant version of this chord, ideal for strumming and solo acoustic contexts.
Bass: D · Top: C♯
The root is in the bass, so the chord sounds grounded and stable. This is the natural starting voicing for most progressions.
Shape a77aa9 is the closest alternative voicing. Try both to see which fits better.
How to play this shape
- 1 Place the 1st finger on the 7th fret of the 5th string
- 2 Place the 2nd finger on the 9th fret of the 1st string
- 3 Place the 3rd finger on the 10th fret of the 6th string
- 4 Place the 4th finger on the 10th fret of the 2nd string and 3rd string in barre position
Frequently Asked Questions
What does "a70aa9" mean?
The sequence a70aa9 is a highly compact guitar chord notation. It represents the fret played on each of the 6 strings, reading left-to-right from the thickest (lowest pitch) string to the thinnest (highest pitch) string: E, A, D, G, B, e.
- x means the string is muted or skipped entirely.
- 0 means the string is played "open" (without pressing over a fret).
- 1-9 represent standard fret numbers 1 to 9.
- a, b, c... represent frets 10, 11, 12, and higher (where a=10, b=11, c=12).
Can I play this D minor major 9 shape anywhere else?
Yes! This specific layout is just one way to voice a D minor major 9 chord. You can find all other variations in our chord shape library for D minor major 9. Most guitarists choose different shapes based on whether they want a "brighter" or "deeper" sound, or which chord they are transitioning from.
How do I stop my fingers from buzzing?
Since this shape uses open strings (marked with '0'), make sure your fingers are arched like a "claw" so they don't accidentally brush against the open strings. Press down firmly just behind the metal fret wires for the clearest sound.
Other shapes
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