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F minor 9th chord on guitar (Fm9)
Also called or written Fm9 or F
F minor 9th contains F, A♭, C, E♭ and G. The 1st-fret barre is a movable shape that works up and down the neck.
How it is built
Formula 1, ♭3, 5, ♭7, 9
- Root positionF–A♭–C–E♭–GFm91-3-1-1-1-3
- First inversionA♭–C–E♭–G–FFm9/A♭4-3-3-5-4-3
- Second inversionC–E♭–G–F–A♭Fm9/Cno shape on this instrument
- Third inversionE♭–G–F–A♭–CFm9/E♭11-11-×-12-13-13
- Fourth inversionG–F–A♭–C–E♭Fm9/G3-3-1-1-1-1
How do you play an F minor 9th chord on guitar?
F minor 9th is played at the 1st fret as 1 3 1 1 1 3: barre your index finger across fret 1, ring finger on the A string at fret 3 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 3.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 1 | 1 (barre) | F (1) |
| 5 (A) | 3 | 3 | C (5) |
| 4 (D) | 1 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (♭7) |
| 3 (G) | 1 | 1 (barre) | A♭ (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | 1 | 1 (barre) | C (5) |
| 1 (e) | 3 | 4 | G (2) |
AdvancedThe index barre must hold down all six strings at the 1st fret while the ring finger and pinky stretch to the 3rd fret.
13th fret
F minor 9th is played at the 13th fret as 13 15 13 13 13 15: barre your index finger across fret 13, ring finger on the A string at fret 15 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 15.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 13 | 1 (barre) | F (1) |
| 5 (A) | 15 | 3 | C (5) |
| 4 (D) | 13 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (♭7) |
| 3 (G) | 13 | 1 (barre) | A♭ (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | 13 | 1 (barre) | C (5) |
| 1 (e) | 15 | 4 | G (2) |
Fm9/A♭ inversion
F minor 9th is played at the 3rd fret as 4 3 3 5 4 3: barre your index finger across fret 3, middle finger on the low E string at fret 4, pinky finger on the G string at fret 5 and ring finger on the B string at fret 4.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 4 | 2 | A♭ (♭3) |
| 5 (A) | 3 | 1 (barre) | C (5) |
| 4 (D) | 3 | 1 (barre) | F (1) |
| 3 (G) | 5 | 4 | C (5) |
| 2 (B) | 4 | 3 | E♭ (♭7) |
| 1 (e) | 3 | 1 (barre) | G (2) |
Fm9/E♭ inversion
F minor 9th is played at the 11th fret as 11 11 × 12 13 13: barre your index finger across fret 11, middle finger on the G string at fret 12, ring finger on the B string at fret 13 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 13. The D string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 11 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (♭7) |
| 5 (A) | 11 | 1 (barre) | A♭ (♭3) |
| 4 (D) | muted | — | — |
| 3 (G) | 12 | 2 | G (2) |
| 2 (B) | 13 | 3 | C (5) |
| 1 (e) | 13 | 4 | F (1) |
Fm9/G inversion
F minor 9th is played at the 1st fret as 3 3 1 1 1 1: barre your index finger across fret 1, ring finger on the low E string at fret 3 and pinky finger on the A string at fret 3.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 3 | 3 | G (2) |
| 5 (A) | 3 | 4 | C (5) |
| 4 (D) | 1 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (♭7) |
| 3 (G) | 1 | 1 (barre) | A♭ (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | 1 | 1 (barre) | C (5) |
| 1 (e) | 1 | 1 (barre) | F (1) |
Why it sounds like that
F minor 9th is built from the formula 1, ♭3, 5, ♭7, 9. The 9th, G, is what separates it from F minor 7th. The ♭7, E♭, gives the chord its minor 9th quality.
What goes wrong with F minor 9th?
- The D string is muted because the ring finger leans against it when fretting the A string.
- The high E string does not ring clearly because the pinky is not pressing hard enough.
When to use it
F minor 9th is the vi chord in A♭ major, appearing in the I–V–vi–IV progression A♭–E♭–Fm–D♭. It suits jazz, funk and R&B where the 9th adds a smooth colour.
Changing to and from F minor 9th
- Sliding the shape up one fret to the 2nd fret gives F♯ minor 9th.
- Sliding the shape up two frets to the 3rd fret gives G minor 9th.
Which voicing to use
The 1st-fret voicing has F in the bass and is the default grip. The Fm9/A♭ inversion, with A♭ in the bass, creates a darker sound that works when the bass player covers the root.
Other F chords
Common questions
How is F minor 9th written?
F minor 9th is written Fm9 or F minor 9th. The symbol Fm9 is the most common shorthand.
What is the difference between F minor 9th and F minor 7th?
F minor 9th adds the 9th, G, to the F minor 7th notes F, A♭, C and E♭. The 9th gives a more open, jazzy sound.
Can I play F minor 9th without a barre?
Yes, the Fm9/A♭ inversion at the 4th fret uses no barre and has A♭ in the bass. It is a good choice when the bass player is already playing the root.