F♭m9 Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The F♭m9 chord is a minor ninth chord built on the root note F♭. Its notes are F♭, A𝄫, C♭, E𝄫 and G♭. It's enharmonically the same chord as Em9.
Minor ninth chords are smooth, cool and slightly melancholy. The ninth widens a minor seventh into something more spacious, which is why it anchors so much modern R&B, house and jazz comping.
- Notes
- F♭ · A𝄫 · C♭ · E𝄫 · G♭
- Formula
- 1 · ♭3 · 5 · ♭7 · 9
- Semitones
- 0 · 3 · 7 · 10 · 14
- Note
- F♭
- Quality
- Minor 9
- Symbol
- F♭m9
F♭m9 on piano
5 notes
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
To play F♭m9 on piano, place your right hand with your thumb on F♭, index finger on A𝄫, middle finger on C♭, ring finger on E𝄫 and little finger on G♭. Press the keys together and listen for an even sound. On the keyboard G♭ is a black key and F♭, A𝄫, C♭ and E𝄫 are white, the keys you'd normally call E, G, B and D. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
- F♭1
- A𝄫♭3
- C♭5
- E𝄫♭7
- G♭9
F♭m9 on guitar
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, F♭m9 is commonly played with the voicing shown above. Strings 6, 4, 3 and 2 ring open.
F♭ · A𝄫 · C♭ · E𝄫 · G♭
Try F♭m9 on the virtual piano
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F♭m9 chord notes
Also known as Em9
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | F♭(Fb) | |
| ♭3 | Minor third | 3 | A𝄫(Abb) | |
| 5 | Perfect fifth | 7 | C♭(Cb) | |
| ♭7 | Minor seventh | 10 | E𝄫(Ebb) | |
| 9 | Major ninth | 14 | G♭(Gb) |
How to use the F♭m9 chord
The F♭m9 chord is built from a root, a minor third, a perfect fifth, a minor seventh and a major ninth. Start at the root F♭ and stack the intervals to get the whole chord: F♭, A𝄫, C♭, E𝄫 and G♭. The same formula gives you the chord in any other key.
Minor ninth chords stand in for minor sevenths as the ii chord in a ii-V-I, or as the tonic of a minor groove. Neo-soul, house, jazz and R&B use them as the default minor colour.
How F♭m9 differs from similar chords
F♭m9 adds a major ninth to F♭m7, which sets it apart from a minor triad with only an added ninth and from F♭9, which has a major third. Its upper four notes form the major seventh chord a minor third above the root.
Where F♭m9 is used
No progression is shown for this spelling
Every key F♭m9 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 F♭m9 chord?
- The F♭m9 chord contains F♭, A𝄫, C♭, E𝄫 and G♭ (Fb, Abb, Cb, Ebb and Gb in plain text).
- Is the F♭m9 chord major or minor?
- F♭m9 is a minor ninth chord. Minor ninth chords are smooth, cool and slightly melancholy. The ninth widens a minor seventh into something more spacious, which is why it anchors so much modern R&B, house and jazz comping.
- How do you play F♭m9 on piano?
- Place your fingers on F♭, A𝄫, C♭, E𝄫 and G♭ 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 G♭ is a black key and F♭, A𝄫, C♭ and E𝄫 are white, the keys you'd normally call E, G, B and D.
- How do you play F♭m9 on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. Strings 6, 4, 3 and 2 ring open.
- What is another name for the F♭m9 chord?
- F♭m9 is enharmonically equivalent to Em9. Both chord names describe exactly the same notes, but the spelling depends on the key you are playing in.