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Guitar chords · Major 9th

F♯maj9 chord on guitar (F#maj9)

F♯maj9 (F♯ major 9th) has five notes: F♯, A♯, C♯, E♯ (played as F) and G♯, the , 3, 5, 7 and 9.

Shapes

How to play F♯maj9

Strum a shape to hear it, or pick it one string at a time. R marks the ; the other numbers are the chord tones.

F♯maj9 has no common . Play it as the E shape at 2 or the A shape at fret 9. A keeps its fingering anywhere on the neck: slide it up or down and the , on the lowest played string, names the chord.

  • E shape · fret 2

    ×R7359F♯E♯A♯C♯G♯
  • A shape · fret 9

    8fr××R379F♯A♯E♯G♯
Name a shape you're holding: the chord finder

Notes and formula

What makes F♯maj9 major 9th

A major 9th chord adds the 9th to a major . It is even softer and more open than maj7, a favourite of neo-soul, jazz and ballads. Keep the 3rd, the 7th and the 9th; drop the 5th first.

  • 1Root: the note the chord is named after. Keep it.
  • 3Essential: makes the chord what it is. Never drop it.
  • 5Optional: drop it first when you run out of fingers.

The 3rd, the 7th and the 9th make F♯maj9 a major 9th chord; you can leave out the 5th.

  1. F♯Rroot
  2. A♯3essential
  3. C♯5optional
  4. E♯7essential
  5. G♯9essential
EADGBE0135791215F♯F♯F♯F♯F♯F♯F♯F♯E♯G♯A♯C♯E♯A♯C♯E♯G♯A♯E♯G♯A♯C♯E♯G♯A♯C♯E♯G♯A♯C♯E♯G♯A♯C♯E♯G♯A♯C♯E♯
  • F♯, the root
  • Other chord tones

F♯maj9 and G♭maj9 are the same chord with two names: same , same sound. Which one you see depends on the key the song is written in.

Keys

Keys with F♯maj9

F♯maj9 belongs to four keys: F♯ major (Imaj9), C♯ major (IVmaj9), D♯ minor (IIImaj9) and A♯ minor (VImaj9).

Numerals follow the key's own scale, so III, VI and VII in a minor key are its own major chords. A ♭ or ♯ in front marks a chord from outside the key. How Roman numerals work

Slash chords

F♯maj9 over another bass note

A keeps F♯maj9 on top and puts another note in the bass: the letter after the slash is the lowest note you play.

  • F♯maj9/A♯

    F♯maj9 with its 3rd, A♯, in the bass.

  • F♯maj9/C♯

    F♯maj9 with its 5th, C♯, in the bass.

  • F♯maj9/E♯

    F♯maj9 with its 7th, E♯, in the bass.

Questions

F♯maj9, in short

What notes are in the F♯maj9 chord?
F♯maj9 (F♯ major 9th) has five notes: F♯, A♯, C♯, E♯ (played as F) and G♯, the , 3, 5, 7 and 9.
How do you play F♯maj9 on guitar?
F♯maj9 has no common . Play it as the E shape at 2 or the A shape at fret 9.
What key is F♯maj9 in?
F♯maj9 belongs to four keys: F♯ major (Imaj9), C♯ major (IVmaj9), D♯ minor (IIImaj9) and A♯ minor (VImaj9).
Is F♯maj9 the same as G♭maj9?
Yes: same frets, same sound, different name. F♯maj9 is the spelling in F♯ major, C♯ major, D♯ minor and A♯ minor; G♭maj9 in G♭ major, D♭ major, E♭ minor and B♭ minor.
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