D sixth, added ninth
How to play D6/9 — Sixth, added ninth
D6/9 (Sixth, added ninth)D · F♯ · A · B · E
Guitar samples: Acoustic guitar — University of Iowa (via tonejs-instruments, CC-BY 3.0)
D sixth, added ninth — notes and structure
The D6/9 chord is a major sixth chord with an added ninth — lush, and a favourite final chord in jazz.
The D6/9 sixth, added ninth consists of the notes D, F♯, A, B, E. Its interval structure is R–3–5–6–9 — the root, then each chord tone stacked above it. This is the same chord you see in the interactive finder above, drawn on the guitar fretboard with the root circled and every chord tone labelled.
D6/9 stacks a major third (F♯), a perfect fifth (A), a major sixth (B) and a ninth (E) above the root D.
The finder shows 2 ways to play D6/9 — movable shapes higher up the neck reaching up to the 5th fret. 1 of them use a barre.
What key is D6/9 in?
Every note of D6/9 belongs to the scales below, so the chord sounds at home in each of these keys — the roman numeral is the degree it sits on.
- G major — the V chord
- D major — the I chord
- A major — the IV chord
- E minor — the VII chord
Chords that go with D6/9
In G major, the chords built on the first, fourth and fifth degrees carry most songs — put D6/9 next to these:
Frequently asked questions
- What notes are in the D sixth, added ninth chord?
- The D6/9 chord contains the notes D, F♯, A, B, E. It is a major sixth chord with an added ninth — lush, and a favourite final chord in jazz.
- How many ways can you play D6/9 on guitar?
- 2 voicings are shown on this page — movable shapes up the neck — each with its own fingering diagram and audio.
- Is D6/9 a hard chord to play?
- It is a movable shape played higher up the neck rather than in open position, so it takes a little more hand strength.
- What key does D6/9 belong to?
- D6/9 fits G major (where it is the V chord), D major (where it is the I chord), A major (where it is the IV chord) — every note of the chord is in those scales.