G minor ninth (Gm9) chord on piano

The G minor ninth chord (Gm9) is a minor ninth chord (a minor seventh plus a major ninth), made of five notes: G – B♭ – D – F – A.

Full chord: G4 – B♭4 – D5 – F5 – A5

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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)
7	F	minor seventh (10 semitones)
9	A	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

G4 – B♭4 – D5 – F5 – A5

Two-hand voicing

G3 – B♭4 – F5 – A5 – D6

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

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.

How do I play the Gm9 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 Gm9 chord written?

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