Gm9 G minor ninth chord
- Notes
- G Bb D F A
- Formula
- 1 b3 5 b7 9
- Semitones
- 0 3 7 10 14 above the root
- Other symbols
- Gmin9, G−9
G to Bb is a minor third (3 semitones), Bb 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 minor seventh (Gm7) with a major ninth on top: A, 14 semitones above G. The fifth, D, is the note players drop first.
Gm9 on the piano
Root position from G4: G4, Bb4, D5, F5, A5. Middle C is C4.
Gm9 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 G as its lowest note.
3 5 3 3 3 5 (low E to high e)
Sounds G2 D3 F3 Bb3 D4 A4
x 10 8 10 10 10 (low E to high e)
Sounds G3 Bb3 F4 A4 D5
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 minor ninth chords on other roots.
Inversions of Gm9
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 | G Bb D F A | Gm9 | |
| 1st inversion | Bb D F A G | Gm9/Bb | |
| 2nd inversion | D F A G Bb | Gm9/D | |
| 3rd inversion | F A G Bb D | Gm9/F | |
| 4th inversion | A G Bb D F | Gm7/A (also read as Gm9/A) |
Where Gm9 fits
Gm9 is ii9 in F major, vi9 in Bb major, i9 in G minor. Its upper four notes Bb D F A are Bbmaj7, the usual rootless voicing of Gm9 over a G bass.