F#mmaj9

F#mMaj9 is F#, A, C#, E# and G#, a minor major ninth. The shape this page opens on is written 203121, lowest string first.

Note by note. F# is the root, A is the minor third, C# is the fifth, E# is the major seventh and G# is the ninth.

Also written F#mM9, F#m(maj9) or F#-Δ9. The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 7 common shapes for F#mMaj9 on the guitar, and 33 derived voicings in 4 families.

One note away. Change a single note of F#mMaj9 and you have F#maj9 (with one note moved), F#m69 (with one note moved), F#m9 (with one note moved), F#mMaj7 (with one note taken away), F#mMaj11 (with one note added) or F#madd9 (with one note taken away).

The common shapes, written lowest string first: 203121, 243224, 444665, x-9-7-10-9-x, 9-12-11-10-9-9, 14-12-x-13-14-13, 14-12-15-13-x-x.

Under the hand. 1 of the 7 shapes here sits in open position, and the first uses 1 open string. 3 of the 7 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. F#mMaj9 has 2031xx, xx4264, x-9-7-10-9-x, 14-12-15-13-x-x.

Drop 2. A close-position chord with the second voice from the top lowered an octave. Sits on four adjacent strings. F#mMaj9 has 2031xx, xx4264, x-9-7-10-9-x, 14-12-15-13-x-x, x0416x, 5-9-6-10-x-x, x-x-6-10-7-5, x-11-15-11-10-x.

Drop 3. The third voice from the top lowered an octave. The dropped voice becomes the bass, which is why a string is skipped. F#mMaj9 has 4x426x, x-11-x-11-10-13, x0x162, x-9-x-10-9-5, 5-x-6-10-7-x, 14-x-15-13-10-x.

Rootless. The root left to the bass player. Frees a finger for a tension. F#mMaj9 has x0312x, xx3224, xx6665, x-11-11-10-10-x, x0x121, x4x264, x4626x, x8x695.

Tensions. A shell of F#mMaj9, root, third and seventh, leaves a string free, and the tones that belong over it are the 11 (B) and the 13 (D#).

What kind of chord this is. F#mMaj9 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.