Gmmaj9

GmMaj9 is G, Bb, D, F# and A, a minor major ninth. The shape this page opens on is written 300332, lowest string first.

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

Also written GmM9, Gm(maj9) or G-Δ9. The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 8 common shapes for GmMaj9 on the guitar, and 27 derived voicings in 5 families.

One note away. Change a single note of GmMaj9 and you have Gmaj9 (with one note moved), Gm69 (with one note moved), Gm9 (with one note moved), GmMaj7 (with one note taken away), GmMaj11 (with one note added) or Gmadd9 (with one note taken away).

The common shapes, written lowest string first: 300332, 31x232, 3142xx, 354335, 555776, xx7076, x-10-8-11-10-x, 10-13-12-11-10-10.

Under the hand. 1 of the 8 shapes here sits in open position, and the first uses 2 open strings. 4 of the 8 need a barre. Together they cover the neck from the 1st fret to the 13th.

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. GmMaj9 has 3142xx, xx5375, x-10-8-11-10-x.

Drop 2. A close-position chord with the second voice from the top lowered an octave. Sits on four adjacent strings. GmMaj9 has 3142xx, xx5375, x-10-8-11-10-x, 6-10-7-11-x-x, x-x-7-11-8-6.

Drop 3. The third voice from the top lowered an octave. The dropped voice becomes the bass, which is why a string is skipped. GmMaj9 has 5x537x, x-12-x-12-11-14, x-10-x-11-10-6, 6-x-7-11-8-x.

Rootless. The root left to the bass player. Frees a finger for a tension. GmMaj9 has xx4335, xx7776, x-12-12-11-11-x, x1423x, x1x232, x5x375, x5737x, x-9-x-7-10-6.

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. GmMaj9 has x00076, 2003xx.

Tensions. A shell of GmMaj9, root, third and seventh, leaves a string free, and the tones that belong over it are the 11 (C) and the 13 (E).

What kind of chord this is. GmMaj9 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.