Tools / Chords / F major 9th

F major 9th chord on guitar (Fmaj9)

Also written Fmaj9 or F

Guitar · Open · 1-0-2-0-1-0

F major 9th contains F, A, C, E, and G. The open voicing mixes fretted and open strings, demanding precise finger placement.

Open · 1-0-2-0-1-01-0-2-0-1-0

Positions on the neck1 of 5

How it’s built

F1Root

A3Major 3rd

C5Perfect 5th

E7Major 7th

G99th

Formula 1, 3, 5, 7, 9

Positions on the neck1 of 5

Inversions

The same three notes, with a different one in the bass.

Root positionF–A–C–E–GFmaj9Bass F

First inversionA–C–E–G–FFmaj9/ABass A

Second inversionC–E–G–F–AFmaj9/CBass C

Third inversionE–G–F–A–CFmaj9/EBass E

Fourth inversionG–F–A–C–EFmaj9/GBass G

Why it sounds like that

F major 9th is built from the 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9 of the F major scale. The major 7th E and the 9th G give it a warm, sophisticated sound. Compare it to F major 7th, which lacks the 9th.

What goes wrong with F major 9th?

Letting the index finger touch the 5th string, deadening the 5th.
Flattening the ring finger onto the 3rd string, muffling the open G.
Strumming too hard, causing the low F to overpower the chord.

When to use it

F major 9th functions as the I chord in F major, fitting progressions like F–B♭–C–F (I–IV–V–I). Its warm, mellow sound suits jazz, folk, and pop ballads. It also works over F major and F major 7th.

Changing to and from F major 9th

Move to <a href="/guitar/c-major-chord">C major</a> by shifting the index finger to the 5th string, 3rd fret, and releasing the other fingers.

Which voicing to use

The open voicing keeps F in the bass for a warm, root-position sound. The 12th-fret barre voicing offers a higher register with the same root in the bass. The open position is the most accessible, while the barre shape provides a fuller, more sustained sound.

How do you play an F major 9th chord on guitar?

Open · 1-0-2-0-1-0

Beginner● On the diagram

F major 9th is played in open position as 1 0 2 0 1 0: index finger on the low E string at fret 1, ring finger on the D string at fret 2 and middle finger on the B string at fret 1. The A, G and high e strings ring open.

Tip — Fretting the 6th, 4th, and 2nd strings while leaving the 5th, 3rd, and 1st strings open requires careful finger independence.

String-by-string breakdown

String	Fret	Finger	Note
6 (E)	1	1	F (1)
5 (A)	open	—	A (3)
4 (D)	2	3	E (7)
3 (G)	open	—	G (9)
2 (B)	1	2	C (5)
1 (e)	open	—	E (7)

Open · 1-0-2-0-1-1

Beginner

F major 9th is played in open position as 1 0 2 0 1 1: index finger on the low E string at fret 1, pinky finger on the D string at fret 2, middle finger on the B string at fret 1 and ring finger on the high e string at fret 1. The A and G strings ring open.

String-by-string breakdown

String	Fret	Finger	Note
6 (E)	1	1	F (1)
5 (A)	open	—	A (3)
4 (D)	2	4	E (7)
3 (G)	open	—	G (9)
2 (B)	1	2	C (5)
1 (e)	1	3	F (1)

Open · 1-0-2-0-1-3

Beginner

F major 9th is played in open position as 1 0 2 0 1 3: index finger on the low E string at fret 1, ring finger on the D string at fret 2, middle finger on the B string at fret 1 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 3. The A and G strings ring open.

String-by-string breakdown

String	Fret	Finger	Note
6 (E)	1	1	F (1)
5 (A)	open	—	A (3)
4 (D)	2	3	E (7)
3 (G)	open	—	G (9)
2 (B)	1	2	C (5)
1 (e)	3	4	G (9)

Open · 1-0-3-0-1-0

Beginner

F major 9th is played in open position as 1 0 3 0 1 0: index finger on the low E string at fret 1, ring finger on the D string at fret 3 and middle finger on the B string at fret 1. The A, G and high e strings ring open.

String-by-string breakdown

String	Fret	Finger	Note
6 (E)	1	1	F (1)
5 (A)	open	—	A (3)
4 (D)	3	3	F (1)
3 (G)	open	—	G (9)
2 (B)	1	2	C (5)
1 (e)	open	—	E (7)

12th fret

Barre

F major 9th is played at the 12th fret as 13 12 14 12 13 12: barre your index finger across fret 12, middle finger on the low E string at fret 13, pinky finger on the D string at fret 14 and ring finger on the B string at fret 13.

String-by-string breakdown

String	Fret	Finger	Note
6 (E)	13	2	F (1)
5 (A)	12	1 (barre)	A (3)
4 (D)	14	4	E (7)
3 (G)	12	1 (barre)	G (9)
2 (B)	13	3	C (5)
1 (e)	12	1 (barre)	E (7)

Common questions

How is F major 9th written?

F major 9th is written F or Fmaj9. No enharmonic spelling is used.

What is the difference between F major 9th and F add 9?

F major 9th includes the major 7th E along with the 9th G. F add 9 omits the 7th, giving a less dense sound.

Why does the open shape use both fretted and open strings?

The open strings provide the 5th C and the 9th G, while the fretted notes add the root, 3rd, and 7th. This creates a full, ringing voicing.

String

Fret

Finger

Note

6 (E)

F (1)

5 (A)

open

—

A (3)

4 (D)

E (7)

3 (G)

open

—

G (9)

2 (B)

C (5)

1 (e)

open

—

E (7)

String

Fret

Finger

Note

6 (E)

F (1)

5 (A)

open

—

A (3)

4 (D)

E (7)

3 (G)

open

—

G (9)

2 (B)

C (5)

1 (e)

F (1)

String

Fret

Finger

Note

6 (E)

F (1)

5 (A)

open

—

A (3)

4 (D)

E (7)

3 (G)

open

—

G (9)

2 (B)

C (5)

1 (e)

G (9)

String

Fret

Finger

Note

6 (E)

F (1)

5 (A)

open

—

A (3)

4 (D)

F (1)

3 (G)

open

—

G (9)

2 (B)

C (5)

1 (e)

open

—

E (7)

String

Fret

Finger

Note

6 (E)

F (1)

5 (A)

1 (barre)

A (3)

4 (D)

E (7)

3 (G)

1 (barre)

G (9)

2 (B)

C (5)

1 (e)

1 (barre)

E (7)