F♯ minor ninth (F♯m9) chord on mandolin

Looking for the F♯m9 chord on mandolin? It is a minor ninth chord (a minor seventh plus a major ninth), made of five notes: F♯ – A – C♯ – E – G♯. The same chord with a different spelling: G♭ minor ninth (G♭m9).

Dots show:

Basic shapeeasy

Position 5medium

Position 7medium

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 F♯m9 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 F♯m9 chord

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

How to play it – with fingering

Basic shape

String 1 (E): fret 2, ring finger (F♯5)
String 2 (A): open (A4)
String 3 (D): fret 2, middle finger (E4)
String 4 (G): fret 1, index finger (G♯3)

Position 5

String 1 (E): fret 5, index finger (A5)
String 2 (A): fret 9, little finger (F♯5)
String 3 (D): fret 6, middle finger (G♯4)
String 4 (G): fret 9, ring finger (E4)

Position 7

String 1 (E): open (E5)
String 2 (A): fret 11, ring finger (G♯5)
String 3 (D): fret 7, index finger (A4)
String 4 (G): fret 11, middle finger (F♯4)

Tuning: G D A E, like a violin; every note is a pair of strings that you fret together. In the diagram, × means the string is not played, and a circle means an open string.

Which keys is it in?

The F♯m9 chord is built from the notes of these keys (for minor keys, both the natural and the harmonic minor are considered):

F♯ minor: i9 (tonic)
C♯ minor: iv9 (subdominant)
A major: vi9
E major: ii9

Similar chords and substitutes

If F♯m9 is too hard, or you want a different colour in the same spot, these chords are worth a try.

Substitutes (by function)

A – relative major: two shared notes
D – the major chord a major third below: two shared notes
F♯m7 – a fuller, softer minor colour

Simpler versions

F♯m7 – all 4 of its notes are in this chord
F♯m – all 3 of its notes are in this chord
F♯sus2 – all 3 of its notes are in this chord

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the F♯m9 chord?

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

What is the easiest way to play F♯m9 on mandolin?

The easiest shape above is “Basic shape”, 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 F♯m9 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 F♯m9 chord written?

The chord symbol is F♯m9 (also written F#m9), and its full name is F♯ minor ninth.