G minor ninth (Gm9) chord on guitar

Minor ninth chord (a minor seventh plus a major ninth) on G: the notes of the Gm9 chord are G – B♭ – D – F – A.

Dots show:

Easy versioneasy

Open positionmedium

Position 8medium

Position 13medium

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 Gm9 chord sounds like

A minor ninth is a minor seventh with an added major ninth: soft and warm, typical of R&B and neo-soul.

Notes of the Gm9 chord

Degree	Note	Interval from the root
1	G	root
3	B♭	minor third (3 semitones)
5	D	perfect fifth (7 semitones) – often omitted on fretted instruments
7	F	minor seventh (10 semitones)
9	A	major second (2 semitones)

How to play it – with fingering

Easy version

String 1 (e): not played
String 2 (B): not played
String 3 (G): fret 3, ring finger (B♭3)
String 4 (D): fret 3, middle finger (F3)
String 5 (A): open (A2)
String 6 (E): fret 3, index finger (G2)

Open position

String 1 (e): fret 1, index finger (F4)
String 2 (B): fret 3, little finger (D4)
String 3 (G): fret 3, little finger (B♭3)
String 4 (D): open (D3)
String 5 (A): open (A2)
String 6 (E): fret 3, ring finger (G2)

Position 8

String 1 (e): fret 10, little finger (D5)
String 2 (B): fret 10, little finger (A4)
String 3 (G): fret 10, little finger (F4)
String 4 (D): fret 8, index finger (B♭3)
String 5 (A): fret 10, ring finger (G3)
String 6 (E): not played

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 Gm9 with a capo

A capo clamps all the strings at one fret, so a familiar open shape sounds higher. You can also get a Gm9 chord with these open shapes:

Capo: fret 3
shape: Em9

Rework a whole song for a capo: chord transposer →

Which keys is it in?

The Gm9 chord is built from the notes of these keys (for minor keys, both the natural and the harmonic minor are considered):

G minor: i9 (tonic)
D minor: iv9 (subdominant)
B♭ major: vi9
F major: ii9

Similar chords and substitutes

If Gm9 is too hard, or you want a different colour in the same spot, these chords are worth a try.

Substitutes (by function)

B♭ – relative major: two shared notes
E♭ – the major chord a major third below: two shared notes
Gm7 – a fuller, softer minor colour

Simpler versions

Gm7 – all 4 of its notes are in this chord
Gm – all 3 of its notes are in this chord
Gsus2 – all 3 of its notes are in this chord
G5 – all 2 of its notes are in this chord

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the Gm9 chord?

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

What is the easiest way to play Gm9 on guitar?

The easiest shape above is “Easy version”, rated easy. We show 4 shapes, from open and easy versions to movable barre shapes higher up the neck. With a capo you can also play it as a Em9 shape at fret 3.

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 Gm9 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 Gm9 chord written?

The chord symbol is Gm9, and its full name is G minor ninth.