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

Looking for the F♯maj9 chord on ukulele? 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).

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Basic shapemedium

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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) – often omitted on fretted instruments
7	E♯	major seventh (11 semitones)
9	G♯	major second (2 semitones)

How to play it – with fingering

Basic shape

String 1 (A): fret 1, middle finger (A♯4)
String 2 (E): fret 2, ring finger (F♯4)
String 3 (C): fret 5, little finger (E♯4)
String 4 (G): fret 1, index finger (G♯4)

Tuning: G C E A (the G string is higher than the C – standard re-entrant ukulele tuning). In the diagram, × means the string is not played, and a circle means an open string.

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.

What is the easiest way to play F♯maj9 on ukulele?

The easiest shape above is “Basic shape”. We show 1 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♯maj9 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♯maj9 chord written?

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