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Guitar chords · Dominant 9th

F♯9 chord on guitar (F#9)

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

Shapes

How to play F♯9

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♯9 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

    R5♭7359F♯C♯EA♯C♯G♯
  • A shape · fret 9

    8fr×R3♭795F♯A♯EG♯C♯
Name a shape you're holding: the chord finder

Notes and formula

What makes F♯9 dominant 9th

A 9th chord is a chord with the 9th stacked on top. It keeps the 's pull to the chord a 5th below but sounds fuller and smoother: the sound of funk, soul and the blues. Keep the 3rd, the ♭7th and the 9th; the 5th can go.

  • 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♯9 a 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♯EG♯A♯C♯EA♯C♯EG♯A♯EG♯A♯C♯EG♯A♯C♯EG♯A♯C♯EG♯A♯C♯EG♯A♯C♯E
  • F♯, the root
  • Other chord tones

F♯9 usually resolves to B or Bm, the chord a 5th below: the V9–I move.

F♯9 and G♭9 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♯9

F♯9 belongs to two keys: B major (V9) and G♯ minor (VII9).

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♯9 over another bass note

A keeps F♯9 on top and puts another note in the bass: the letter after the slash is the lowest note you play.

  • F♯9/A♯

    F♯9 with its 3rd, A♯, in the bass.

  • F♯9/C♯

    F♯9 with its 5th, C♯, in the bass.

  • F♯9/E

    F♯9 with its ♭7th, E, in the bass.

Questions

F♯9, in short

What notes are in the F♯9 chord?
F♯9 (F♯ 9th) has five notes: F♯, A♯, C♯, E and G♯, the , 3, 5, ♭7 and 9.
How do you play F♯9 on guitar?
F♯9 has no common . Play it as the E shape at 2 or the A shape at fret 9.
What key is F♯9 in?
F♯9 belongs to two keys: B major (V9) and G♯ minor (VII9).
Is F♯9 the same as G♭9?
Yes: same frets, same sound, different name. F♯9 is the spelling in B major and G♯ minor; G♭9 in C♭ major and A♭ minor, which most players write as B major and G♯ minor.
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