B♯maj9 Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The B♯maj9 chord is a major ninth chord built on the root note B♯. Its notes are B♯, D𝄪, F𝄪, A𝄪 and C𝄪. It's enharmonically the same chord as Cmaj9.
Major ninth chords are lush and floating. A major seventh chord with a ninth added, they are one of the sweetest sounds in jazz and neo-soul, warm enough to sit still on for a whole bar.
- Notes
- B♯ · D𝄪 · F𝄪 · A𝄪 · C𝄪
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · 5 · 7 · 9
- Semitones
- 0 · 4 · 7 · 11 · 14
- Note
- B♯
- Quality
- Major 9
- Symbol
- B♯maj9
B♯maj9 on piano
5 notes
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
To play B♯maj9 on piano, place your right hand with your thumb on B♯, index finger on D𝄪, middle finger on F𝄪, ring finger on A𝄪 and little finger on C𝄪. Press the keys together and listen for an even sound. On the keyboard every note of B♯maj9 is a white key, the keys you'd normally call C, E, G, B and D. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
- B♯1
- D𝄪3
- F𝄪5
- A𝄪7
- C𝄪9
B♯maj9 on guitar
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, B♯maj9 is commonly played with the voicing shown above. Strings 4, 3, 2 and 1 ring open. Don't play string 6.
B♯ · D𝄪 · F𝄪 · A𝄪 · C𝄪
Try B♯maj9 on the virtual piano
Free, in your browser: play with the mouse, your computer keyboard or a USB MIDI keyboard. No sign-up.
B♯maj9 chord notes
Also known as Cmaj9
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | B♯(B#) | |
| 3 | Major third | 4 | D𝄪(D##) | |
| 5 | Perfect fifth | 7 | F𝄪(F##) | |
| 7 | Major seventh | 11 | A𝄪(A##) | |
| 9 | Major ninth | 14 | C𝄪(C##) |
How to use the B♯maj9 chord
The B♯maj9 chord is built from a root, a major third, a perfect fifth, a major seventh and a major ninth. Start at the root B♯ and stack the intervals to get the whole chord: B♯, D𝄪, F𝄪, A𝄪 and C𝄪. The same formula gives you the chord in any other key.
Major ninth chords work as the I or IV chord where a major seventh would do, adding depth without changing the function. Bossa nova, jazz, soul and R&B treat them as a default tonic sound.
How B♯maj9 differs from similar chords
B♯maj9 stacks a major ninth on B♯maj7, and it differs from B♯9 only in the seventh, a half step higher. Without that major seventh it would be B♯add9. Its upper four notes form the minor seventh chord a major third above the root, which is how pianists often voice it.
Where B♯maj9 is used
No progression is shown for this spelling
Every key B♯maj9 would have a function in has a tonic that needs a double accidental, which is not a key this library teaches. The enharmonic spelling carries the same chord in a key that exists.
Questions people ask
- What notes are in the B♯maj9 chord?
- The B♯maj9 chord contains B♯, D𝄪, F𝄪, A𝄪 and C𝄪 (B#, D##, F##, A## and C## in plain text).
- Is the B♯maj9 chord major or minor?
- B♯maj9 is a major ninth chord. Major ninth chords are lush and floating. A major seventh chord with a ninth added, they are one of the sweetest sounds in jazz and neo-soul, warm enough to sit still on for a whole bar.
- How do you play B♯maj9 on piano?
- Place your fingers on B♯, D𝄪, F𝄪, A𝄪 and C𝄪 and play them together. The root usually goes to the little finger of the left hand, the upper notes to the right. On the keyboard every note of B♯maj9 is a white key, the keys you'd normally call C, E, G, B and D.
- How do you play B♯maj9 on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. Strings 4, 3, 2 and 1 ring open. Don't play string 6.
- What is another name for the B♯maj9 chord?
- B♯maj9 is enharmonically equivalent to Cmaj9. Both chord names describe exactly the same notes, but the spelling depends on the key you are playing in.