Gmaj9

Gmaj9 is G, B, D, F# and A, a major ninth. The shape this page opens on is written 300002, lowest string first.

Also written GM9, GΔ9, Gma9 or G major 9. The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 12 common shapes for Gmaj9 on the guitar, and 44 derived voicings in 5 families.

In which keys. Every note of Gmaj9 belongs to D major (the IV), E minor (the ♭III), G major (the I) and B minor (the ♭VI).

The common shapes, written lowest string first: 300002, 324232, 354435, xx4435, xx5475, 755775, x-10-7-7-7-7, x-10-9-11-10-x, 10-10-9-11-10-x, x-12-12-12-12-14, x-x-12-14-12-14, 15-12-12-12-12-14.

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. Gmaj9 has 3242xx, x-10-9-11-10-x, xx5475.

Drop 2. A close-position chord with the second voice from the top lowered an octave. Sits on four adjacent strings. Gmaj9 has 3242xx, xx4203, x0400x, x-10-9-11-10-x, xx5475, 7-10-7-11-x-x, x-x-7-11-8-7, x2527x.

Drop 3. The third voice from the top lowered an octave. The dropped voice becomes the bass, which is why a string is skipped. Gmaj9 has x0x002, 3x420x, 5x547x, x-10-x-11-10-7, 7-x-7-11-8-x, x-12-x-12-12-14, x2x273, x9x485.

Rootless. The root left to the bass player. Frees a finger for a tension. Gmaj9 has x2423x, xx0202, xx4435, xx7777, x-x-9-11-10-10, x-12-12-11-12-x, x-x-12-14-12-14, x2x232.

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. Gmaj9 has 324200, x24230, x57470, 5x5470, 200000, x04000.

Tensions. A shell of Gmaj9, root, third and seventh, leaves a string free, and the tones that belong over it are the #11 (C#) and the 13 (E).

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