G♯maj9 Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The G♯maj9 chord is a major ninth chord built on the root note G♯. Its notes are G♯, B♯, D♯, F𝄪 and A♯. It's enharmonically the same chord as A♭maj9.
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
- G♯ · B♯ · D♯ · F𝄪 · A♯
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · 5 · 7 · 9
- Semitones
- 0 · 4 · 7 · 11 · 14
- Note
- G♯
- Quality
- Major 9
- Symbol
- G♯maj9
G♯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 G♯maj9 on piano, place your right hand with your thumb on G♯, index finger on B♯, middle finger on D♯, ring finger on F𝄪 and little finger on A♯. Press the keys together and listen for an even sound. On the keyboard G♯, D♯ and A♯ are black keys and B♯ and F𝄪 are white, the keys you'd normally call C and G. The thumb starts on a black key, so slide the whole hand a little further in, towards the fallboard. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
- G♯1
- B♯3
- D♯5
- F𝄪7
- A♯9
G♯maj9 on guitar
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, G♯maj9 is commonly played with the voicing shown above. The fretted notes sit between frets 1 and 4. String 3 rings open.
G♯ · B♯ · D♯ · F𝄪 · A♯
Play G♯maj9 on the online piano
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G♯maj9 chord notes
Also known as A♭maj9
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | G♯(G#) | |
| 3 | Major third | 4 | B♯(B#) | |
| 5 | Perfect fifth | 7 | D♯(D#) | |
| 7 | Major seventh | 11 | F𝄪(F##) | |
| 9 | Major ninth | 14 | A♯(A#) |
How to use the G♯maj9 chord
The G♯maj9 chord is built from a root, a major third, a perfect fifth, a major seventh and a major ninth. Start at the root G♯ and stack the intervals to get the whole chord: G♯, B♯, D♯, F𝄪 and A♯. 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 G♯maj9 differs from similar chords
G♯maj9 stacks a major ninth on G♯maj7, and it differs from G♯9 only in the seventh, a half step higher. Without that major seventh it would be G♯add9. Its upper four notes form the minor seventh chord a major third above the root, which is how pianists often voice it.
Where G♯maj9 is used
No progression is shown for this spelling
Every key G♯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 G♯maj9 chord?
- The G♯maj9 chord contains G♯, B♯, D♯, F𝄪 and A♯ (G#, B#, D#, F## and A# in plain text).
- Is the G♯maj9 chord major or minor?
- G♯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 G♯maj9 on piano?
- Place your fingers on G♯, B♯, D♯, F𝄪 and A♯ 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♯, D♯ and A♯ are black keys and B♯ and F𝄪 are white, the keys you'd normally call C and G. The thumb starts on a black key, so slide the whole hand a little further in, towards the fallboard.
- How do you play G♯maj9 on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. The fretted notes sit between frets 1 and 4. String 3 rings open.
- What is another name for the G♯maj9 chord?
- G♯maj9 is enharmonically equivalent to A♭maj9. Both chord names describe exactly the same notes, but the spelling depends on the key you are playing in.