G♭ / F♯ major ninth
How to play G♭maj9 — Major ninth
G♭maj9 (Major ninth)G♭ · B♭ · D♭ · F · A♭
Guitar samples: Acoustic guitar — University of Iowa (via tonejs-instruments, CC-BY 3.0)
G♭ / F♯ major ninth — notes and structure
The G♭maj9 chord is a major seventh chord with the ninth added — rich and dreamy.
The G♭maj9 major ninth consists of the notes G♭, B♭, D♭, F, A♭. Its interval structure is R–3–5–7–9 — the root, then each chord tone stacked above it. This is the same chord you see in the interactive finder above, drawn on the guitar fretboard with the root circled and every chord tone labelled.
G♭maj9 stacks a major third (B♭), a perfect fifth (D♭), a major seventh (F) and a ninth (A♭) above the root G♭.
The finder shows 1 way to play G♭maj9 — movable shapes higher up the neck reaching up to the 10th fret. None of them need a barre.
What key is G♭maj9 in?
Every note of G♭maj9 belongs to the scales below, so the chord sounds at home in each of these keys — the roman numeral is the degree it sits on.
- D♭ major — the IV chord
- F♯ major — the I chord
- B♭ minor — the VI chord
- D♯ minor — the III chord
Chords that go with G♭maj9
In D♭ major, the chords built on the first, fourth and fifth degrees carry most songs — put G♭maj9 next to these:
Frequently asked questions
- What notes are in the G♭ / F♯ major ninth chord?
- The G♭maj9 chord contains the notes G♭, B♭, D♭, F, A♭. It is a major seventh chord with the ninth added — rich and dreamy.
- How many ways can you play G♭maj9 on guitar?
- 1 voicing is shown on this page — movable shapes up the neck — each with its own fingering diagram and audio.
- Is G♭maj9 a hard chord to play?
- It is a movable shape played higher up the neck rather than in open position, so it takes a little more hand strength.
- What key does G♭maj9 belong to?
- G♭maj9 fits D♭ major (where it is the IV chord), F♯ major (where it is the I chord), B♭ minor (where it is the VI chord) — every note of the chord is in those scales.