C6/9

Character: open

Voicings

3 ways to play C6/9

Every voicing sits inside one of the five CAGED shapes, low to high on the neck, with its octave doublings in grey.

CC shape Root position C6/9

Frets x 3 2 2 3 0Notes C E A DIntervals 1 3 6 9Base triadC major, root position

The 6th takes the 5th’s string. The 9th gets a string of its own.

GG shape Root position C6/9

Frets 8 7 7 7 8 xNotes C E A DIntervals 1 3 6 9Base triadC major, root position

The 6th takes the 5th’s string. The 9th gets a string of its own.

EE shape Root position C6/9

Frets x x 10 9 10 10Notes C E A DIntervals 1 3 6 9Base triadC major, root position

The 6th takes the 5th’s string. The 9th gets a string of its own.

The rules

Start from a triad
Root, 3rd and 5th, stacked in thirds. The 3rd makes it major or minor; the 5th makes it diminished or augmented when it moves.
No 7th, no stack
6, add9, add11 and 6/9 are a triad with a colour note, not a stack. Without a 7th the chord sounds open rather than jazzy.
On guitar, something has to give
Each extension takes the string of a triad note that matters less, usually the 5th, or gets a string of its own. The root and 3rd stay: they say what the chord is.

All the rules, with examples, in the guide to the chord library.

What notes are in C6/9?

C6/9 is spelled C E G A D: C is the root, E is the 3rd, G is the 5th, A is the 6th, D is the 9th.

What is the formula of C6/9?

1 3 5 6 9. It is a C major triad with the 6th, 9th stacked on top.

How many ways can you play C6/9 on guitar?

This page shows 3 voicings of C6/9, filed under the five CAGED shapes and named by inversion, from the open position up to the 16th fret.