Lush and dreamy — a major 7th with a 9th stacked on top.
Notes: C – G – B – D – E · Formula: 1 – 3 – 5 – 7 – 9
Load C Major 9 (Cmaj9) onto an interactive fretboard, hear every note, and build it into a progression.
Play Cmaj9 in the Studio →Cmaj9 is a premium chord — opening it in the Studio prompts a subscription to unlock full access.
A C Major 9 (Cmaj9) chord contains the notes C, G, B, D, E. It is built from the major 9th formula 1 - 3 - 5 - 7 - 9, with C as the root.
Both add the 9th (D) to a C major chord, but Cadd9 stops there — it has no 7th. Cmaj9 includes the major 7th (B) as well, so it's a fuller, jazzier five-note chord. Cadd9 sounds bright and folky; Cmaj9 sounds lush and jazzy, precisely because of that added major 7th.