Bmaj9 B major ninth chord
- Notes
- B D# F# A# C#
- Formula
- 1 3 5 7 9
- Semitones
- 0 4 7 11 14 above the root
- Other symbols
- BM9, BΔ9
B to D# is a major third (4 semitones), D# to F# is a minor third (3 semitones), F# to A# is a major third (4 semitones), A# to C# is a minor third (3 semitones). A major seventh (Bmaj7) with the ninth, C#, on top. The fifth, F#, is often left out on guitar.
Bmaj9 on the piano
Root position from B4: B4, D#5, F#5, A#5, C#6. Middle C is C4.
Bmaj9 on the guitar
Standard tuning (E A D G B E). Strings run low E on the left to high e on the right, frets downwards; × is a muted string, ○ an open string, and each dot shows the note it sounds, with the root in blue-green. Every shape below has B as its lowest note.
x 2 1 3 2 x (low E to high e)
Sounds B2 D#3 A#3 C#4, fifth left out
7 6 8 6 7 x (low E to high e)
Sounds B2 D#3 A#3 C#4 F#4
The E-shape and A-shape grips are movable: an E-shape chord's root is the note under your first finger on the low E string, an A-shape chord's root is the note on the A string. Slide the same grip up or down to play major ninth chords on other roots.
Inversions of Bmaj9
An inversion puts a note other than the root in the bass. The name is what semicord's chord finder calls those notes played bottom to top; a slash name like C/E means a C chord with E in the bass.
| Position | Notes, bass first | Named | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Root position | B D# F# A# C# | Bmaj9 | |
| 1st inversion | D# F# A# C# B | Bmaj9/D# | |
| 2nd inversion | F# A# C# B D# | Bmaj9/F# | |
| 3rd inversion | A# C# B D# F# | Bmaj9/A# | |
| 4th inversion | C# B D# F# A# | Bmaj7/C# (also read as Bmaj9/C#) |
Where Bmaj9 fits
Bmaj9 is Imaj9 in B major, IVmaj9 in F# major. Its upper four notes D# F# A# C# are Ebm7: play that chord over a B bass and you have Bmaj9.