G Major Ninth Chord (Gmaj9)

1Composition: what it contains

G – B – D – F♯ – A

Symbol

Gmaj9

Also written

Gmaj9, GM9, GΔ9, Gma9

Formula

1 3 5 7 9

2Appearance: diagrams and sound

On the guitar

On the ukulele

On the piano

On the staff

On bass and as an arpeggio

3Indications: what it is used for

The Imaj9 and IVmaj9 chords in jazz, neo-soul, R&B, bossa nova, city pop and lo-fi hip-hop. It is a colourful tonic at the end of a ii–V–I, and a common chord in dreamy progressions such as IVmaj9–iii7–ii9–Imaj9. Ionian or Lydian scales fit over it. In reharmonisation, it can replace a plain major triad whenever the melody is not holding the root against the major seventh. Neo-soul keyboardists like to stack it in wide, spread voicings across both hands for a soft pad sound.

4Dosage: how to practise it

On guitar, learn the shape rooted on the fifth string and the drop-2 shape with the ninth on top. On piano, play rootless left-hand voicings (3-5-7-9) and two-hand voicings (root-7 in the left, 3-5-9 in the right). Practise ii9–V13–Imaj9 at 70–120 BPM in all keys. Arpeggiate the chord in two octaves (1-3-5-7-9). Ten minutes daily, including neo-soul progressions. On bass, outline 1-5-7 and leave the ninth to the harmony instruments. Experiment with Lydian colour by adding the ♯11 on top.

5Warnings and common mistakes

Do not confuse maj9 with 9 (dominant, flat seventh) or add9 (no seventh). Avoid voicing the root a minor ninth above the major seventh, which sounds harsh. On guitar, the fifth is often omitted. The ninth and the third in the same octave can sound dense, so spread them. If the melody contains the fourth, it may clash; check before substituting.

6Interactions with chords, scales and keys

Inversions

• Inversion 1 · Gmaj9/B · B – D – F♯ – A – G Play
• Inversion 2 · Gmaj9/D · D – F♯ – A – G – B Play
• Inversion 3 · Gmaj9/F♯ · F♯ – A – G – B – D Play
• Inversion 4 · Gmaj9/A · A – G – B – D – F♯ Play

Scales to play over Gmaj9

• G Major Scale
• G Lydian Mode
• G Bebop Dominant Scale

7Other presentations available

The same chord from every note

Cmaj9 C♯maj9 Dmaj9 E♭maj9 Emaj9 Fmaj9 F♯maj9 A♭maj9 Amaj9 B♭maj9 Bmaj9

Other chords on G

G Gm Gdim Gaug Gsus2 Gsus4 G5 G6 Gm6 G7 Gmaj7 Gm7 Gm7♭5 Gdim7 Gm(maj7) G7sus4 Gadd9 Gm(add9) G6/9 G9 Gm9 G11 Gm11 G13 G7♭9 G7♯9 G7♯5 G7♭5