Yes, I said “Funk”.
Using ninth chords is a great way to add some flavor to your guitar rhythms. They have many uses and once you learn them they will quickly become a regular part of your playing.
Let’s take a look at a common fingering pattern for a ninth chord that you can use to make things fun.
Here’s an example of a “C” ninth chord you can play right now.
E———-3————————————–
B———-3——————————————-
G———-3————————————-
D———–2————————————-
A———-3————————————–
ME———————————-
This chord is played with the second finger on the third fret of the fifth string, the first finger on the second fret of the fourth string, and the third finger will “sweep” the notes on the third fret of the first, second, and third strings. ribbons. The sixth string is not played or muted.
The note that is on the fifth string in this ninth chord fingering pattern is the root note. In the example above, the 5th string note is played on the 3rd fret, which is a “C” note, making it a “C9th” chord.
You can simply slide this fingering pattern up and down the guitar neck to play it in any key that is determined by the root note located on the fifth string.
For example, if you slide this same pattern “up” two frets, the root note of the fifth string will be on the fifth fret, which is a “D” note, making the chord a “D9th” chord.
Ninth chords are used in many “funk” songs and here’s a common example using the hit Wild Cherry”Play that funky music“.
E—-7——–7—6—7——–9—8—7——6— 7——
B—-7——–7—6—7——-9—8—7——6— 7 ——
G—-7——–7—6—7——–9—8—7——6— 7——
D—-6——–6—5—6——–8—7—6——5— 6——
A—-7——–7—6—7——-9—8—7——6— 7 ——
ME————————————————- ————-
Although at first glance it may seem a bit complicated, it is actually quite easy. You’ll keep the same fingering pattern throughout the riff, and the chords will simply alternate around the same 4 frets, spanning between frets 6 and 9. A bit of funky hand-picking combined with a bit of muting with the palm of the hand will enhance the flavor.
other use
Now you can see how ninth chords are great for funk-type rhythms, but can also be used effectively in blues progressions.
In a standard I, IV, V blues progression that uses all seventh chords, you can try substituting the IV chord and V chord for the ninth chords.
For example, in a blues progression in the key of “A”, using seventh chords, it would look like this:
A, D7, E7
In this case, you could substitute the IV chord (D7) and the V chord (E7) with ninths. The result would look like this:
A, D9, E9
Try playing both versions and see if you can hear the difference. This is a very common way to play a blues progression.
As you progress through your guitar journey, be sure to include ninth chords in your arsenal of weapons. After a while, you won’t be able to live without putting on some funk!