F#mmaj9

F#mMaj9 is F#, A, C#, E# and G#, a minor major ninth. The shape this page opens on is written 203121, lowest string first.

Also written F#mM9, F#m(maj9) or F#-Δ9. The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 7 common shapes for F#mMaj9 on the guitar, and 33 derived voicings in 4 families.

The common shapes, written lowest string first: 203121, 243224, 444665, x-9-7-10-9-x, 9-12-11-10-9-9, 14-12-x-13-14-13, 14-12-15-13-x-x.

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. F#mMaj9 has 2031xx, xx4264, x-9-7-10-9-x, 14-12-15-13-x-x.

Drop 2. A close-position chord with the second voice from the top lowered an octave. Sits on four adjacent strings. F#mMaj9 has 2031xx, xx4264, x-9-7-10-9-x, 14-12-15-13-x-x, x0416x, 5-9-6-10-x-x, x-x-6-10-7-5, x-11-15-11-10-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. F#mMaj9 has 4x426x, x-11-x-11-10-13, x0x162, x-9-x-10-9-5, 5-x-6-10-7-x, 14-x-15-13-10-x.

Rootless. The root left to the bass player. Frees a finger for a tension. F#mMaj9 has x0312x, xx3224, xx6665, x-11-11-10-10-x, x0x121, x4x264, x4626x, x8x695.

Tensions. A shell of F#mMaj9, 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.