12 October 2025
Learn a new Ukulele chord every day of the year. The chord for January 28th is C9
Root Position C9
C7 with an added 9th (D). This chord can be voiced with two hands. C and G (Root, Fifth) in the left hand with E, B, and D in the right hand.
C9 is a Direct Substitution for the Chord a Day for January 10th — C7. A Full Diatonic, the dominant, V chord in the common Major Key of F . (for more info on 9th chords see below)
Core 4-part
, a.k.a. Jazz
Chords
Today's chord, C9 is one of, or based on one of, the Big Six Core Jazz
chords for creating your 4-part, contemporary chord foundation and Life Beyond the Third Fret.
Movable Ukulele Chords Lesson Series page.
Understanding a Chord Diagram
Gvariations
Although additional fingerings are possible for many chords, fingering for any given chord depends on the science of how our fingers work and on the harmonic context the chord is being used in—what was the previous chord, and what's the next chord? The goal is to play all the notes right behind the frets when possible. Remember, longer fingers can reach the lower strings better, and finger two can stack on finger three, and finger three can stack on finger four.- 0 3 0 2
- 0 4 0 3
9th Chords
A 9th chord is a 5-part chord.
For a 5-part 9th chord, the root is implied and displaced for the ninth. Optionally the 3rd of a 7th chord can be lowered two frets (a whole step) for 1 9 5 b7. This really works if you have already played the chord with the third present and establishing the color of the chord.
To create a ninth chord raise the root of a 4-part chord two frets. This applies to a 7th, maj7, m7, 6, m6, m7b5, etc… Most all 4-part chords can be turned into ninth chords. For a 7th chord this would be a 9 3 5 b7.
This same process can be applied to a triad by raising the root two frets. For these chords they are typically called add2 or add9 chords.
Chords are pretty flexible and can be implied by containing the notes of the chord that make it different then another chord types with the same root. Take C and Cm, C is C E G and Cm is C Eb G. The third of the chord the E or Eb is a color tone and is responsible for making a major chord different sounding then a minor chord with the same root.
Related Lessons, Videos, Lesson Series, Songs, Books & Reference Charts, Resources & Assets, Workshops are below.
Pick up any chord dictionary, and one thought that should go through your mind is - TOO MANY CHORDS There is now way to memorize all those shapes. It would be better off learning how they came up with all those shapes. Most chord dictionaries are also just like pages transposed to all possible keys.
Most players struggle with learning the names of the notes of the ukulele fingerboard. There doesn't seem to a pattern and notes repeat. There is an easy way and "it's easier that you think." Most players know the names of the open strings for their favorite tuning.
A series of weekly ukulele lessons originally presented throughout 2007 on movable ukulele chords as the "Ukulele Chord of The Week Series". Based on the Ukulele Chords book by Curt Sheller (me). It takes the open position chords and shows the movable form and the variations.
"TAB" or "Tablature", is an alternate form of musical notation, which tells players where to place their fingers on a particular instrument rather than which pitches to play. TAB is sort of a secret language between guitar players and ukulele players. Although a shortcut to getting started it actually serves to alienate one from the rest of the music world.
For music and learning an instrument like the ukulele or guitar, it's all about the making the connection between your Mind, your Hands, and your Ear. When listening to music, we enjoy it at the tempo the composer or artist intended, in real time. Only the ear is involved in listening. This is passive listening and you're simply enjoying the music. This is what we do every day and it's what draws us to want to learn a musical instrument.
The "Major Scale" or Ionian scale is a diatonic scale, made up of seven distinct notes, plus an eighth which duplicates the first one octave higher. In solfege these notes correspond to the syllables Do, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, La, Ti/Si, (Do), the Do in the parenthesis at the end being the octave of the root.
"Transposition" is the process of moving a note, chord, scale or any musical passage from one key to another key. All music can be transposed, from a single note to a complex musical score. This lesson deals with transposing chords on ukulele and transposing chords.
Core Chords for Ukulele, The Big Six - From four F7 chord voicings or shapes, your can build your massive 4-part, a.k.a., “jazz” chord vocabulary. Beyond basic open position chords, basic movable form chords and a core set of 4-part chords. There are just too many chords shapes too memorize.
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