G major ninth (Gmaj9) chord on banjo

Looking for the Gmaj9 chord on banjo? It is a major ninth chord (a major seventh chord plus a major ninth), made of five notes: G – B – D – F♯ – A.

Dots show:

Basic shapemedium

Position 4medium

Position 7easy

Tap a string on a diagram to hear just that string. The sound is generated in your browser with a physical string model.

Chord finder Transposer Tuner

What the Gmaj9 chord sounds like

A major ninth is a major seventh chord with an added ninth: spacious, floating and very jazzy as a tonic.

Notes of the Gmaj9 chord

Degree	Note	Interval from the root
1	G	root
3	B	major third (4 semitones)
5	D	perfect fifth (7 semitones) – often omitted on fretted instruments
7	F♯	major seventh (11 semitones)
9	A	major second (2 semitones)

How to play it – with fingering

Basic shape

String 1 (D): fret 4, ring finger (F♯4)
String 2 (B): open (B3)
String 3 (G): fret 2, index finger (A3)
String 4 (D): fret 5, little finger (G3)

Position 4

String 1 (D): fret 7, little finger (A4)
String 2 (B): fret 7, little finger (F♯4)
String 3 (G): fret 4, index finger (B3)
String 4 (D): fret 5, middle finger (G3)

Position 7, barre at fret 7

String 1 (D): fret 7, index finger (A4)
String 2 (B): fret 7, index finger (F♯4)
String 3 (G): open (G3)
String 4 (D): fret 9, ring finger (B3)

For the barre, lay your index finger flat across all the marked strings at fret 7; your other fingers press the higher frets.

Five-string banjo in open G tuning (g D G B D). The diagram shows the four long strings; the short 5th string (g) rings open – avoid it when G is not in the chord. In the diagram, × means the string is not played, and a circle means an open string.

Which keys is it in?

The Gmaj9 chord is built from the notes of these keys (for minor keys, both the natural and the harmonic minor are considered):

G major: Imaj9 (tonic)
D major: IVmaj9 (subdominant)
E minor: IIImaj9
B minor: VImaj9

Similar chords and substitutes

If Gmaj9 is too hard, or you want a different colour in the same spot, these chords are worth a try.

Substitutes (by function)

Em7 – relative minor seventh: three shared notes
Bm7 – mediant minor seventh: three shared notes
G6 – another tonic colour, more vintage and swingy

Simpler versions

Gmaj7 – all 4 of its notes are in this chord
Gadd9 – all 4 of its notes are in this chord
G – all 3 of its notes are in this chord
Gsus2 – all 3 of its notes are in this chord

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the Gmaj9 chord?

G, B, D, F♯, A. The root is G; the intervals of the other notes from the root: major third, perfect fifth, major seventh, major second.

What is the easiest way to play Gmaj9 on banjo?

The easiest shape above is “Position 7”, rated easy. We show 3 shapes, from open and easy versions to movable barre shapes higher up the neck.

How do I read the chord diagram?

Strings run from the lowest (left) to the highest (right) – tick “Left-handed” to mirror it. Rows are frets; a number at the side shows the starting fret. Dots are fingers (1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring, 4 little), a long bar is a barre, × means don't play that string and ○ means play it open.

Why is a note missing from some Gmaj9 shapes?

On a fretted instrument you can't always play every note of a 5-note chord. The fifth (D) may be dropped – the chord keeps its character without it.

How is the Gmaj9 chord written?

The chord symbol is Gmaj9, and its full name is G major ninth.