F♯ major ninth (F♯maj9) chord on piano

Looking for the F♯maj9 chord on piano? It is a major ninth chord (a major seventh chord plus a major ninth), made of five notes: F♯ – A♯ – C♯ – E♯ – G♯. The same chord with a different spelling: G♭ major ninth (G♭maj9).

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

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What the F♯maj9 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 F♯maj9 chord

Degree	Note	Interval from the root
1	F♯	root
3	A♯	major third (4 semitones)
5	C♯	perfect fifth (7 semitones)
7	E♯	major seventh (11 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 – E♯5 – G♯5

Two-hand voicing

F♯3 – A♯4 – E♯5 – G♯5 – C♯6

Which keys is it in?

The F♯maj9 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)
D♯ minor: IIImaj9

Similar chords and substitutes

If F♯maj9 is too hard, or you want a different colour in the same spot, these chords are worth a try.

Substitutes (by function)

E♭m7 – relative minor seventh: three shared notes
B♭m7 – mediant minor seventh: three shared notes
F♯6 – another tonic colour, more vintage and swingy

Simpler versions

F♯maj7 – 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

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the F♯maj9 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.

How do I play the F♯maj9 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♯maj9 chord written?

The chord symbol is F♯maj9 (also written F#maj9), and its full name is F♯ major ninth.