F♯ dominant ninth (F♯9) chord on piano

Looking for the F♯9 chord on piano? It is a dominant ninth chord (a dominant seventh plus a major ninth), made of five notes: F♯ – A♯ – C♯ – E – G♯. The same chord with a different spelling: G♭ dominant ninth (G♭9).

Full chord: F♯4 – A♯4 – C♯5 – E5 – G♯5

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What the F♯9 chord sounds like

A dominant ninth is a dominant seventh with an added major ninth. A fuller, fatter dominant sound – a staple of funk, soul and blues.

Notes of the F♯9 chord

Degree	Note	Interval from the root
1	F♯	root
3	A♯	major third (4 semitones)
5	C♯	perfect fifth (7 semitones)
7	E	minor seventh (10 semitones)
9	G♯	major second (2 semitones)

Piano voicings

Chords with five or more notes are rarely played in one hand: the left hand takes the root, the right hand the colour notes. The fifth (and in an eleventh chord the third) is often left out.

Full chord

F♯4 – A♯4 – C♯5 – E5 – G♯5

Two-hand voicing

F♯3 – A♯4 – E5 – G♯5 – C♯6

Which keys is it in?

The F♯9 chord is built from the notes of these keys (for minor keys, both the natural and the harmonic minor are considered):

B major: V9 (dominant)
G♯ minor: VII9

Similar chords and substitutes

If F♯9 is too hard, or you want a different colour in the same spot, these chords are worth a try.

Substitutes (by function)

C7 – tritone substitute: the same third and seventh, swapped – a jazz favourite
B♭dim7 – diminished seventh on the third: a common stand-in for the dominant
F♯7 – a simpler dominant
F♯7sus4 – suspended dominant, less tense
B – where it resolves (V → I)

Simpler versions

F♯7 – all 4 of its notes are in this chord
F♯add9 – all 4 of its notes are in this chord
F♯ – all 3 of its notes are in this chord
F♯sus2 – all 3 of its notes are in this chord

Richer versions

F♯11 – the same chord plus 1 colour note
F♯13 – the same chord plus 1 colour note

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the F♯9 chord?

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

How do I play the F♯9 chord on piano?

Play the root with your left hand and the colour notes (third, seventh, ninth) with your right hand – the two-hand voicing above. Stacking all 5 notes in one hand is possible but sounds crowded.

How is the F♯9 chord written?

The chord symbol is F♯9 (also written F#9), and its full name is F♯ dominant ninth.