D 6/9 (D6/9)

1+3+5+6+9
DABEF#
4 4
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Notes in D 6/9

D (root)F#ABE

Inversions

Same notes as D 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

D in the bass

DABEF#

1st inversion

F# in the bass

ABEDF#

2nd inversion

A in the bass

ABEDF#

3rd inversion

B in the bass

BEDAF#

4th inversion

E in the bass

EDABF#

Open voicings

A close-position chord like D 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

B on the bottom

DAEF#

Drop 3

A on the bottom

DBEF#

The notes D, F#, A, B and E make up D 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.