Fmaj9 F major ninth chord
- Notes
- F A C E G
- Formula
- 1 3 5 7 9
- Semitones
- 0 4 7 11 14 above the root
- Other symbols
- FM9, FΔ9
F to A is a major third (4 semitones), A to C is a minor third (3 semitones), C to E is a major third (4 semitones), E to G is a minor third (3 semitones). A major seventh (Fmaj7) with the ninth, G, on top. The fifth, C, is often left out on guitar.
Fmaj9 on the piano
Root position from F4: F4, A4, C5, E5, G5. Middle C is C4.
Fmaj9 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 F as its lowest note.
1 0 2 0 1 x (low E to high e)
Sounds F2 A2 E3 G3 C4
x 8 7 9 8 x (low E to high e)
Sounds F3 A3 E4 G4, fifth left out
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 Fmaj9
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 | F A C E G | Fmaj9 | |
| 1st inversion | A C E G F | Fmaj9/A | |
| 2nd inversion | C E G F A | Fmaj9/C | |
| 3rd inversion | E G F A C | Fmaj9/E | |
| 4th inversion | G F A C E | Fmaj9/G |
Where Fmaj9 fits
Fmaj9 is Imaj9 in F major, IVmaj9 in C major. Its upper four notes A C E G are Am7: play that chord over a F bass and you have Fmaj9.