Hi, here you have the C9 chord in 5 different positions, with the standard CDA tuning  .https://www.banjohangout.org/forum/attachment_manager/a_mngr_added.asp?

I don’t have much of an understanding of music theory but when I am searching for the “right” chord form or shape of the extended chords (9th’s and 13th’s, etc) I always experiment with a few shapes and settle on the one I thinks sounds best in that particular part of a tune. From my self-taught/seat-of-the-pants learning experience.

In a jazz context, every chord unless called out on the chart is a type of 7th chord. The key/mode scale will tell you which type. A 9th chord is a seventh chord with the 2nd/9th added, so you can play the corresponding seventh instead of a 9th anytime you want to.

If you are playing in an ensemble, you would be part of the rhythm section, and which 9th inversion/shape you play will be filled out by the rest of the rhythm section, so none of the inversions/shapes you play shouldn’t sound bad if the rest of the section is covering the other important notes of the harmony. Usually a piano will have most of the important notes covered. If you are playing with another guitarist as the rhythm section, then you both would normally have to make sure the important harmony notes are covered as both of you would be using partial chords.

I'm used to think the nine chord as a different chord, for example a Cmaj7/9 (CEGBD) can be played as a Emin7 (EGBD) you only miss the root that is not that important (the bass player will play it for sure) so instead of playing a Cmaj7 in the first position (on tenor 0022) you can play a Emin7 (on tenor 4455)...
this is in my opinion the best way to have good voicings on extended harmonies

Thanks! That is something for me to work on!

Thanks, I feel less overwhelmed now!  
 

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Originally posted by 250gibson

In a jazz context, every chord unless called out on the chart is a type of 7th chord. The key/mode scale will tell you which type. A 9th chord is a seventh chord with the 2nd/9th added, so you can play the corresponding seventh instead of a 9th anytime you want to.

If you are playing in an ensemble, you would be part of the rhythm section, and which 9th inversion/shape you play will be filled out by the rest of the rhythm section, so none of the inversions/shapes you play shouldn’t sound bad if the rest of the section is covering the other important notes of the harmony. Usually a piano will have most of the important notes covered. If you are playing with another guitarist as the rhythm section, then you both would normally have to make sure the important harmony notes are covered as both of you would be using partial chords.

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A ninth chord is a five-note chord. Already you see the problem. The most common tone to omit is the root since the ninth may be placed one fret up from the root on the same string. The second choice is the 5th. Always try to keep your 3d and 7th to keep the chord's character as a dominant apparent. These different voicings will definitely sound different depending which four notes you play of the this five note chord. A 7th may be substituted for a 9th (both are dominants) if you don't need the 9th as a melody note, but I think the 9th chord generally is sounds jazzier than a 7th as a rhythm chord. Trust your ears and (for me and my old hands) keep the ease of the chord change to and from the ninth chord in mind. Several forms are easy (for me) to grab, with notes nearby on the adjacent strings.

In small ensembles, I find the extended chords belong to the improvisors, at best you are punctuation for them; Lenny Breau said our core job in rhythm was the 3rd and the 7th, anything else is extra; for solos, Joe Pass said he only knew maj min aug and dim, but noticed he had fingers left over.

In our case we have things we can omit because, face it, we are 90% percussion and besides, our sound is so beautiful folks don't notice mistakes.

So, for example, if I take an F7, 3-2-3-3, I can reach 3-2-5-3 (or 0 but I can kind of get 3) and sacrifice the high C if need be, but I will use it dynamically 3/5 swapping. Same with b9, the scale still contains the b7 so D7b9 I cover where 2-5-4-5 can become 0-5-4-6 or 0-5-4-3 as your melody requires. In this way I'm aiming for what Joe and Lenny said, cover the basics, then be an opportunist with what you can still reach! 

most b9's are just somebody else's diminished! like in Softly… Do7/G7b9 is just move it up or down 3 frets!

Most b5's are a twisty pain. Avoid them. #9's too. Avoid having children who like both.

All this does, unfortunately, require that I learn which tone is on which string/finger, not just knowing my chord-shapes by which string is the root, and here is where it turns out to have been someone's really great idea to tune the banjo in fifths!

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Originally posted by malarz

I don’t have much of an understanding of music theory but when I am searching for the “right” chord form or shape of the extended chords (9th’s and 13th’s, etc) I always experiment with a few shapes and settle on the one I thinks sounds best in that particular part of a tune. From my self-taught/seat-of-the-pants learning experience.

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Excellent point, Malarz. Always trust your ears first. The dominant seven almost always works when an extension (9, 11, 13, or an alteration) is noted. If you don't need the extension or alteration as a soloist or melody player, don't be concerned about them. Rhythm on the tenor is punchy and bold. The audience and band need to  recognize your chord or at least hear it harmoize the melody.  We only have four strings and many times in jazz, chords go by fast.  The dominant seven usually covers it. Trust your ears.

Not a 4-string player, but I encounter extended chords in my 5-string arrangements of Broadway tunes and similar pop standards. I also encounter the point made earlier that chords above the 7th are five-note chords and I have only four strings to work with (the short fifth string rarely being useful in a chord). Plus, during a solo I'm rarely fretting four strings anyway.

So after figuring out or looking up what notes are in a called-for chord, I figure out which notes I can drop and still get a sound I want. I try to keep the note that makes the chord a 9, 11 or 13, assuming there was a reason the composer or chart-writer chose that. After that, it's case-by-case, based on sound and fingering.

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Originally posted by mb4me

For rhythm chords is there any trick to selecting a 9th chord? Some are missing different notes on my tenor And they sound different. Also is there any trick on when you can substitute a 7th chord for a 9th, especially if it sounds better?

Thanks from a confused beginner.

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I don't know of any "trick", but just essentially comes down to listen if it sounds better, which is dependent of context of melody and harmonic movement. I do find it I tend to use most often as a II and sometimes in V. 

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As far as leaving out chord tones. Guideline I was told, and found seems to work often (not always).

Can often leave out the fifth, it's generally implied default assumed.

Can sometimes leave out the root; especially if playing in context of another instrument playing a bass note, or lower chord with strong root. (indeed bass can sometimes define the chord; As bassist Adam Neely once said, you can think you're playing a C6 or just a C; but if I play an A note, it's an Am7) 

The third; defines major/minor aspect of chord; but in some contexts it is somewhat implied based on key, melody and other chords/progression. For example, in major key V7 is by default is expected (rather than v7), so the third might be less important. Like above, another instrument might be filling in major/minor third chord info.

I'd like to amend my post above when I said I thought a ninth chord sounded "jazzier" than a seventh chord in a rhythm context. When I re-read it I realized I was thinking like a jazz guitarist and not a jazz banjoist. I'll reiterate what I said about dropping chord tones to play ninths, but I'll also reiterate what I said about the use of extensions and alterations being most suitable for chord melody than for rhythm. If an arranger has a desire for an extension or alteration to be heard in a chord, I think he should specify the chord note by note. Also, remember the lead sheets in fake books often specify chords for pianists, that call for extended chord tones not required by the melody. The chords themselves often sound great but may not be as effective on a tenor banjo. The bigger the ensemble, the simpler the chords should be. Banjo and guitar players would do well to observe this even if pianists do not.

9th chords (without the root), minor 7th chords with a flat fifth (sometimes called half diminished), and minor 6th chords can be the same chord but with a different name! Thus:

F9 (without the root which is probably sounded by the bass player) contains the notes A C Eb G.

Am7 with a flat 5 (A half diminished) contains the notes A C Eb G. The same as F9.

Cm6 has the notes C Eb G A. Same notes as the F9 and Am7-5!

I find this information useful on banjo and guitar. If the pad says for example Am7-5 D7, I could substitute Cm6 D7, or F9 D7. You can get more adjacent fingerings thinking like this, or nicer connecting voicings. It extends possibilities when playing rhythm in a band setting, and it makes playing rhythm less boring!

Who would have thought that a 9th chord could have so many possibilities?

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Originally posted by djangonut

9th chords (without the root), minor 7th chords with a flat fifth (sometimes called half diminished), and minor 6th chords can be the same chord but with a different name! Thus:

F9 (without the root which is probably sounded by the bass player) contains the notes A C Eb G.

Am7 with a flat 5 (A half diminished) contains the notes A C Eb G. The same as F9.

Cm6 has the notes C Eb G A. Same notes as the F9 and Am7-5!

I find this information useful on banjo and guitar. If the pad says for example Am7-5 D7, I could substitute Cm6 D7, or F9 D7. You can get more adjacent fingerings thinking like this, or nicer connecting voicings. It extends possibilities when playing rhythm in a band setting, and it makes playing rhythm less boring!

Who would have thought that a 9th chord could have so many possibilities?

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Thanks for reminding us of this. This was second nature to me on the guitar, but I'm new to the tenor and thinking in terms of four strings. Your comment is especially helpful when looking for a nearby chord voicing that we may think of by another name.

I had another eureka moment like the F9, Am7-5, Cm6 revelation when I discovered that the F7-9 chord was just a diminished.

Removing the root you just have the notes A C Eb Gb. An A diminished, which is C diminished, Eb diminished, or Gb diminished. I used to avoid the chord F7-9, and just play an F7, which is perfectly acceptable. But knowing the diminished hack opens up new possibilities. Say F9-5, just drop a tone to Eb and call it Eb diminished. It works!

it's all about the bass.