G69

G69 is G, B, D, E and A, a six-nine. The shape this page opens on is written 300000, lowest string first.

Also written G6/9, G6add9 or G six nine. The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 9 common shapes for G69 on the guitar, and 50 derived voicings in 5 families.

In which keys. Every note of G69 belongs to C major (the V), D major (the IV), E minor (the ♭III), G major (the I), A minor (the ♭VII) and B minor (the ♭VI).

The common shapes, written lowest string first: 300000, 322233, xx5455, x55455, x77787, x-10-7-9-8-7, x-10-9-9-10-10, x-12-12-12-12-12, 15-14-14-14-15-15.

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. G69 has 3222xx, xx5455, x-10-9-9-10-x, 15-14-14-14-x-x.

Drop 2. A close-position chord with the second voice from the top lowered an octave. Sits on four adjacent strings. G69 has 3222xx, x0200x, xx2203, xx5455, xx7987, x-10-9-9-10-x, x-12-14-12-12-x, 15-14-14-14-x-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. G69 has 3x220x, x2x253, 5x545x, x7x485, x-10-x-9-10-7, 7x798x, 12-x-9-12-10-x, x-12-x-12-12-12.

Rootless. The root left to the bass player. Frees a finger for a tension. G69 has x2223x, xx0200, xx7757, x-x-9-9-10-10, x-x-12-14-12-12, x-14-14-14-15-x, xx2435, x2x230.

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. G69 has x20253, 040005, 540000, 3x0200, 00060x, x00600.

Tensions. A shell of G69, root, third and seventh, leaves a string free, and the tones that belong over it are the #11 (C#).

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