Fm(maj9) Guitar Chords Explained | F Minor Major Ninth
Fm(maj9), the F minor major ninth chord, is an F minor triad with an E as the major seventh and a G as the ninth: F, Ab, C, E and G.
The E is a natural note a half step below the root, and the G is a whole step above it. The chord is the root, minor third, fifth, major seventh and ninth. Moving to or from the chord is easier with smoother chord changes, since the E can slide a half step into a neighbouring note. The F melodic minor scale contains all five notes.
F minor major 9th guitar chord is also written as Fm(maj9), FmM9, Fminmaj9 or F-Δ9.
Fm(maj9) Chord Notes and Formula
Notes that compose the F m(maj9) chord:
Chord Formula:
Formula: 1 b3 5 7 9
Fm(maj9) Chord Interactive Fretboard
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Fm(maj9) Guitar Chord Diagrams
Position 1 Barre Movable
F Minor Major Ninth Finger Positions
- Place your index finger (1) on the fret 1 of the low E, G and B strings at the same time
- Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 2 of the D string
- Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 3 of the A string
- Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 3 of the high E string
Position 2 Movable
F Minor Major Ninth Finger Positions
- Mute the low E string
- Mute the high E string
- Place your index finger (1) on the fret 6 of the D string
- Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 8 of the A string
- Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 8 of the B string
- Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 9 of the G string
Position 3 Movable Slash Chord
F/G Minor Major Ninth Finger Positions
- Mute the low E string
- Mute the D string
- Place your index finger (1) on the fret 9 of the B string
- Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 10 of the A string
- Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 10 of the G string
- Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 12 of the high E string
The lowest note is G, not the root, so this voicing is the slash chord Fm(maj9)/G.
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Chords That Go With Fm(maj9)
One key where Fm(maj9) fits is Ab major, where it works as the vi chord, an altered chord whose E is borrowed from outside the key. These are the main chords of that key, the ones you will often hear around it:
See every key in the guitar keys chart, or build a progression with these chords in the chord progression generator.
More F Chords
Want to know how this chord is built? Read ninth and add9 chords explained, or browse all F guitar chords.
Created by
Giancarlo is a musician (teaching guitar since 2000), software engineer, AI consultant and published researcher
FAQ
Which notes are in Fm(maj9)?
Fm(maj9) contains F, Ab, C, E and G. The natural E is the major seventh and the G is the ninth.
What is the difference between Fm(maj9) and Fm9?
Fm9 has the minor seventh Eb. Fm(maj9) has E natural, one semitone higher, and keeps the ninth G.
Which scale goes with F minor major ninth?
F melodic minor: F, G, Ab, Bb, C, D, E. All five chord notes are in it, and the ninth G is the second degree.
How are the thirds stacked in Fm(maj9)?
From F the chord goes up a minor third to Ab, a major third to C, a major third to E and a minor third to G. That is 3, 4, 4 and 3 semitones.
What does Fm(maj9) add to a plain F minor chord?
The F minor triad is F, Ab and C. Fm(maj9) adds the major seventh E and the ninth G on top of it.
