Fmaj9

Fmaj9 is F, A, C, E and G, a major ninth. The shape this page opens on is written 102010, lowest string first.

Also written FM9, FΔ9, Fma9 or F major 9. The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 13 common shapes for Fmaj9 on the guitar, and 46 derived voicings in 5 families.

In which keys. Every note of Fmaj9 belongs to C major (the IV), D minor (the ♭III), F major (the I) and A minor (the ♭VI).

The common shapes, written lowest string first: 102010, 132213, xx2213, xx3253, 533553, x85555, x8798x, 88798x, x-10-10-10-10-12, x-x-10-12-10-12, 13-10-10-10-10-12, 13-12-14-12-13-12, 13-x-14-14-13-15.

Shell. Root, third and seventh: the guide tones fix the quality, so the fifth is dropped. That is what leaves a string free, so pick a tension to put on top. Fmaj9 has 1020xx, x8798x, 13-12-14-12-x-x, xx3253.

Drop 2. A close-position chord with the second voice from the top lowered an octave. Sits on four adjacent strings. Fmaj9 has 1020xx, x0305x, x8798x, 13-12-14-12-x-x, xx3253, 5859xx, xx5965, x-10-14-10-10-x.

Drop 3. The third voice from the top lowered an octave. The dropped voice becomes the bass, which is why a string is skipped. Fmaj9 has x0x051, 3x325x, x8x985, 5x596x, x-10-x-10-10-12, 13-x-14-12-10-x, x7x263, 12-x-7-10-8-x.

Rootless. The root left to the bass player. Frees a finger for a tension. Fmaj9 has xx2213, x0201x, xx5555, xx7988, x-10-10-9-10-x, x-x-10-12-10-12, x-12-14-12-13-x, x-x-14-14-13-15.

Open string. An open string left ringing against a fretted grip. Because it costs no finger, it sounds a note the closed shape has none left for -- a tension on top, or a pedal root underneath. Either a familiar grip with open strings added, or a shape so sparse the open strings carry the chord. These belong to their key rather than to a shape, so D, A, G and E have many and Eb a handful. Fmaj9 has 030253, 000503, 530000, 57000x, 0x0005, 3x0200.

Tensions. A shell of Fmaj9, root, third and seventh, leaves a string free, and the tones that belong over it are the #11 (B) and the 13 (D).

The common shapes and the derived voicings come from different places, and both are explained in where the chords and the theory come from.