Dominant ninth
Dominant seventh with an added ninth above. Same function, fuller color.
Symbol 9 · C9 Four notes
Listen
Notes of the chord
1 C M3 E P5 G m7 B♭ M9 D
C E G D
Where you have heard it
Dominante no jazz and in samba
What it gets confused with
Frequently asked
Which notes make a dominant ninth chord?
A dominant seventh plus a ninth — for example G, B, D, F and A.
Is it still a dominant?
Yes. The tritone between third and seventh is untouched, so it resolves exactly like a dominant seventh, only with more colour.
Where does it turn up?
As the dominant in jazz and samba, where the bare seventh would sound plain.
There is an exercise track dedicated to recognising this by ear.
Train this