C 6/9 (C6/9)

1+3+5+6+9
CEGAD
4 4
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Notes in C 6/9

C (root)EGAD

Inversions

Same notes as C 6/9, with a different chord tone as the lowest note. Useful for smoother movement between chords instead of jumping around the keyboard.

Root position

C in the bass

CEGAD

1st inversion

E in the bass

EGADC

2nd inversion

G in the bass

GADCE

3rd inversion

A in the bass

ADCEG

4th inversion

D in the bass

DCEGA

Open voicings

A close-position chord like C 6/9 can sound cluttered in the middle of the keyboard. Jazz players open it up by dropping one note down an octave, spreading the same notes wider without changing the chord.

Drop 2

A on the bottom

CEGD

Drop 3

G on the bottom

CEAD

Press C, E, G, A and D together on the keyboard and you're playing C 6/9.

A major triad carrying both a sixth and a ninth, with no seventh in sight. That combination is bright and full without the pull of a dominant or major seventh chord, which makes it a favorite way to close a song on a major chord that still sounds a little more interesting than a plain triad.

Difficulty: Advanced. Category: Extended chords. Click any key on the diagram above to hear that single note.