Chords
G Minor/major ninth
G · Bb · D · F# · A
G Minor/major ninth (GmMaj9) is a minor chord of 5 notes: G · Bb · D · F# · A.
Also written GmM9 · G-^9
G Minor/major ninth
G · Bb · D · F# · A
Voicings on the piano
| Voicing | Notes | Play it on your instrument |
|---|---|---|
| Closed, root position | G3 · Bb3 · D4 · F#4 · A4 | |
| Open (drop 2) | F#3 · G3 · Bb3 · D4 · A4 | |
| Shell | G3 · Bb3 · F#4 | |
| Rootless | Bb3 · F#4 · A4 |
Tap a key or a fret to hear it.
Anatomy
G Minor/major ninth (GmMaj9) contains the notes G · Bb · D · F# · A, each with a role measured as an interval from the root.
Read on: how triads are built · seventh chords · extensions
Inversions
An inversion of G Minor/major ninth puts a chord tone other than G in the bass; the name after the slash is that bass note.
Where it lives
The keys and the scales G Minor/major ninth belongs to.
In which keys
G Minor/major ninth is diatonic to 1 key; the numeral is its degree and the label its harmonic function.
- G minoriMaj9Tonic
Extensions beyond the seventh count when every note sits in the key.
Scales that contain it
G Minor/major ninth fits inside these scales, each built on G.
- G Melodic MinorG · A · Bb · C · D · E · F#
- G Harmonic MinorG · A · Bb · C · D · Eb · F#
- G Minor HexatonicG · A · Bb · C · D · F#
- G Lydian DiminishedG · A · Bb · C# · D · E · F#
- G Hungarian MinorG · A · Bb · C# · D · Eb · F#
- G Minor BebopG · A · Bb · C · D · Eb · F · F#
- G Minor Six DiminishedG · A · Bb · C · D · Eb · E · F#
- G Messiaen's Mode #3G · A · Bb · B · C# · D · Eb · F · F#
Understanding the G Minor/major ninth chord
Names and symbols
GmMaj9 is the chord symbol for G Minor/major ninth; it is also written GmM9, G-^9.
mMaj7, m/maj7, mΔ7, −Δ7 and mM7 all mean the minor-major seventh: a minor triad with a major seventh. Every spelling tries to say both qualities at once.
Common questions
- What notes are in the G Minor/major ninth chord?
- The G Minor/major ninth chord contains the notes G · Bb · D · F# · A: the root G with the intervals 1P, 3m, 5P, 7M, 9M stacked above it. Play them together for the chord or one after another for an arpeggio. The lowest note is normally G, but any chord tone can take the bass in an inversion.
- What intervals make up the G Minor/major ninth chord?
- Measured from G, the G Minor/major ninth chord stacks the intervals 1P, 3m, 5P, 7M, 9M. The quality of the third and of the seventh, if there is one, is what gives the chord its character; the rest of the notes colour it. Every interval in the formula links to its own page, with its sound.
- How do I play the G Minor/major ninth chord?
- On guitar the most common G Minor/major ninth shape is 300332, read from the lowest string to the highest; the instrument panel above shows several more with their fingerings. On piano play G3 · Bb3 · D4 · F#4 · A4 with the right hand, or move the root down into the left hand and keep the rest above it. Every shape on this page plays when you press it.