F major ninth (Fmaj9) chord on guitar

The F major ninth chord (Fmaj9) is a major ninth chord (a major seventh chord plus a major ninth), made of five notes: F – A – C – E – G.

Dots show:

Easy versioneasy

E shape, fret 1hard

Position 3easy

Position 7medium

Position 12medium

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

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What the Fmaj9 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 Fmaj9 chord

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

How to play it – with fingering

Easy version

String 1 (e): open (E4)
String 2 (B): fret 1, middle finger (C4)
String 3 (G): open (G3)
String 4 (D): fret 2, ring finger (E3)
String 5 (A): open (A2)
String 6 (E): fret 1, index finger (F2)

E shape, fret 1, barre at fret 1

String 1 (e): fret 3, little finger (G4)
String 2 (B): fret 1, index finger (C4)
String 3 (G): fret 2, middle finger (A3)
String 4 (D): fret 2, middle finger (E3)
String 5 (A): fret 3, ring finger (C3)
String 6 (E): fret 1, index finger (F2)

For the barre, lay your index finger flat across all the marked strings at fret 1; your other fingers press the higher frets.

Position 3

String 1 (e): fret 5, little finger (A4)
String 2 (B): fret 5, ring finger (E4)
String 3 (G): open (G3)
String 4 (D): fret 3, index finger (F3)
String 5 (A): not played
String 6 (E): not played

The “C, A, G, E and D shapes” are the CAGED system: you slide the shape of the open C, A, G, E or D chord up the neck and your index finger (a barre) takes over the job of the nut. That way the same chord can be played in five places, anywhere on the fretboard.

Tuning: E A D G B E (low to high). String 6 is the thickest, the low E. In the diagram, × means the string is not played, and a circle means an open string.

Playing Fmaj9 with a capo

A capo clamps all the strings at one fret, so a familiar open shape sounds higher. You can also get a Fmaj9 chord with these open shapes:

Capo: fret 1
shape: Emaj9

Rework a whole song for a capo: chord transposer →

Which keys is it in?

The Fmaj9 chord is built from the notes of these keys (for minor keys, both the natural and the harmonic minor are considered):

F major: Imaj9 (tonic)
C major: IVmaj9 (subdominant)
D minor: IIImaj9
A minor: VImaj9

Similar chords and substitutes

If Fmaj9 is too hard, or you want a different colour in the same spot, these chords are worth a try.

Substitutes (by function)

Dm7 – relative minor seventh: three shared notes
Am7 – mediant minor seventh: three shared notes
F6 – another tonic colour, more vintage and swingy

Simpler versions

Fmaj7 – all 4 of its notes are in this chord
Fadd9 – all 4 of its notes are in this chord
F – all 3 of its notes are in this chord
Fsus2 – all 3 of its notes are in this chord

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the Fmaj9 chord?

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

What is the easiest way to play Fmaj9 on guitar?

The easiest shape above is “Easy version”, rated easy. We show 5 shapes, from open and easy versions to movable barre shapes higher up the neck. With a capo you can also play it as a Emaj9 shape at fret 1.

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 Fmaj9 shapes?

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

How is the Fmaj9 chord written?

The chord symbol is Fmaj9, and its full name is F major ninth.