Fm9

Fm9 is F, Ab, C, Eb and G, a minor ninth. The shape this page opens on is written 131113, lowest string first.

Note by note. F is the root, Ab is the minor third, C is the fifth, Eb is the flat seventh and G is the ninth.

Also written Fmin9, F-9 or F minor 9. The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 10 common shapes for Fm9 on the guitar, and 35 derived voicings in 5 families.

One note away. Change a single note of Fm9 and you have Fm69 (with one note moved), Fm7 (with one note taken away), Fm11 (with one note added), FmMaj9 (with one note moved), Fmadd9 (with one note taken away) or F9 (with one note moved).

In which keys. Every note of Fm9 belongs to C minor (the iv), Eb major (the ii), F minor (the i) and Ab major (the vi).

The common shapes, written lowest string first: 131113, x33044, 465564, x8688x, x-10-10-10-9-11, x-x-10-12-9-11, 13-11-13-0-13-13, 13-11-x-12-13-11, x-11-13-12-13-13, 13-15-13-13-13-15.

Under the hand. 1 of the 10 shapes here sits in open position, and the first uses 1 open string with 1 left unplayed. 6 of the 10 need a barre. Together they cover the neck from the 1st fret to the 15th.

Shell. Root, third and seventh: the guide tones fix the quality, so the fifth is dropped. That is what leaves a string free, so pick a tension to put on top. Fm9 has x8688x, 13-11-13-12-x-x, xx3143.

Drop 2. A close-position chord with the second voice from the top lowered an octave. Sits on four adjacent strings. Fm9 has x8688x, 13-11-13-12-x-x, xx3143, 4858xx, xx5864, x-10-13-10-9-x, x-x-13-12-9-13, 3631xx.

Drop 3. The third voice from the top lowered an octave. The dropped voice becomes the bass, which is why a string is skipped. Fm9 has 3x314x, x8x884, 4x586x, x-10-x-10-9-11, 13-x-13-12-9-x, x6x163, 11-x-6-10-8-x.

Rootless. The root left to the bass player. Frees a finger for a tension. Fm9 has xx1113, xx5544, xx6888, x-10-10-8-9-x, x-11-13-12-13-x, x-x-13-13-13-15, x3x143, x3514x.

Open string. An open string left ringing against a fretted grip. Because it costs no finger, it sounds a note the closed shape has none left for -- a tension on top, or a pedal root underneath. Either a familiar grip with open strings added, or a shape so sparse the open strings carry the chord. These belong to their key rather than to a shape, so D, A, G and E have many and Eb a handful. Fm9 has 4600xx.

Tensions. A shell of Fm9, root, third and seventh, leaves a string free, and the tones that belong over it are the 11 (Bb) and the 13 (D).

What kind of chord this is. Fm9 is a minor chord — root, minor third, fifth. minor chords on every root, and what they are for.

The common shapes and the derived voicings come from different places, and both are explained in where the chords and the theory come from.