G#m9 G# minor ninth chord
- Notes
- G# B D# F# A#
- Formula
- 1 b3 5 b7 9
- Semitones
- 0 3 7 10 14 above the root
- Also written
- Abm9 (Ab Cb Eb Gb Bb)
- Other symbols
- G#min9, G#−9
G# to B is a minor third (3 semitones), 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 minor seventh (G#m7) with a major ninth on top: A#, 14 semitones above G#. The fifth, D#, is the note players drop first.
G#m9 on the piano
Root position from G#4: G#4, B4, D#5, F#5, A#5. Middle C is C4.
G#m9 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.
4 6 4 4 4 6 (low E to high e)
Sounds G#2 D#3 F#3 B3 D#4 A#4
x 11 9 11 11 11 (low E to high e)
Sounds G#3 B3 F#4 A#4 D#5
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 G#m9
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# B D# F# A# | G#m9 | |
| 1st inversion | B D# F# A# G# | G#m9/B | |
| 2nd inversion | D# F# A# G# B | G#m9/D# | |
| 3rd inversion | F# A# G# B D# | G#m9/F# | |
| 4th inversion | A# G# B D# F# | G#m7/A# (also read as G#m9/A#) |
Where G#m9 fits
G#m9 is ii9 in F# major, vi9 in B major, i9 in G# minor. Its upper four notes B D# F# A# are Bmaj7, the usual rootless voicing of G#m9 over a G# bass.