Gaug9

Gaug9 is G, B, D#, F and A, a augmented ninth. The shape this page opens on is written 301001, lowest string first.

Note by note. G is the root, B is the major third, D# is the sharp fifth, F is the flat seventh and A is the ninth.

Also written G9#5, G+9 or G9(#5). The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 8 common shapes for Gaug9 on the guitar, and 19 derived voicings in 2 families.

One note away. Change a single note of Gaug9 and you have Galt (with one note moved), Gaug7 (with one note taken away), G9 (with one note moved) or G9b5 (with one note moved).

The common shapes, written lowest string first: 301001, 32324x, 3x3445, xx3445, 787887, x-10-9-10-10-11, x-12-13-0-12-13, 13-12-13-12-12-13.

Under the hand. 1 of the 8 shapes here sits in open position, and the first uses 3 open strings. 3 of the 8 need a barre. Together they cover the neck from the 1st fret to the 13th.

Where it goes. Gaug9 is a dominant with its tension raised, so it still points at C — harder than a plain seventh does, because the altered tones sit a semitone from where they are going.

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. Gaug9 has 3232xx, xx5465, x-10-9-10-10-x, 15-14-15-14-x-x, 3x344x, x-10-x-10-12-11.

Rootless. The root left to the bass player. Frees a finger for a tension. Gaug9 has xx1201, x2324x, xx3445, xx7867, x-8-9-8-10-x, x-x-9-10-10-11, x-x-13-14-12-13, x2x241.

Tensions. A shell of Gaug9, root, third and seventh, leaves a string free, and the tones that belong over it are the #11 (C#).

What kind of chord this is. Gaug9 is an altered chord — a dominant seventh with its fifth or ninth moved. altered dominant 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.