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Guitar chords · Minor 9th

F♯m9 chord on guitar (F#m9)

F♯m9 (F♯ minor 9th) has five notes: F♯, A, C♯, E and G♯, the , ♭3, 5, ♭7 and 9.

Shapes

How to play F♯m9

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♯m9 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

    ×R♭7♭359F♯EAC♯G♯
  • A shape · fret 9

    7fr××R♭3♭79F♯AEG♯
Name a shape you're holding: the chord finder

Notes and formula

What makes F♯m9 minor 9th

A minor 9th chord adds the 9th to a minor . It sounds smooth and moody, the sound of neo-soul, R&B and jazz ballads. 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♯m9 a minor 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♯AC♯EAC♯EG♯AEG♯AC♯EG♯AC♯EG♯AC♯EG♯AC♯EG♯AC♯E
  • F♯, the root
  • Other chord tones

F♯m9 often leads to B7 and then E: the ii9–V7–I of E major.

F♯m9 and G♭m9 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♯m9

F♯m9 belongs to four keys: A major (vi9), E major (ii9), F♯ minor (i9) and C♯ minor (iv9).

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♯m9 over another bass note

A keeps F♯m9 on top and puts another note in the bass: the letter after the slash is the lowest note you play.

  • F♯m9/A

    F♯m9 with its ♭3rd, A, in the bass.

  • F♯m9/C♯

    F♯m9 with its 5th, C♯, in the bass.

  • F♯m9/E

    F♯m9 with its ♭7th, E, in the bass.

Questions

F♯m9, in short

What notes are in the F♯m9 chord?
F♯m9 (F♯ minor 9th) has five notes: F♯, A, C♯, E and G♯, the , ♭3, 5, ♭7 and 9.
How do you play F♯m9 on guitar?
F♯m9 has no common . Play it as the E shape at 2 or the A shape at fret 9.
What key is F♯m9 in?
F♯m9 belongs to four keys: A major (vi9), E major (ii9), F♯ minor (i9) and C♯ minor (iv9).
Is F♯m9 the same as G♭m9?
Yes: same frets, same sound, different name. F♯m9 is the spelling in A major, E major, F♯ minor and C♯ minor. No key on the circle spells it G♭m9, so you will rarely see that name.
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