About the Gmaj9 chord
The major ninth adds the ninth to a major seventh chord. It is one of the prettiest chords on the guitar, with a floating, open quality. The symbol for it is Gmaj9.
How to play Gmaj9
- Put your index finger on the high E string at fret 2.
- Put your middle finger on the low E string at fret 3.
- Strum and let the A and D and G and B strings ring open.
1 index · 2 middle · 3 ring · 4 little
Chords in the key of G major
These are the chords built on each note of the G major scale, so they all sound good together with Gmaj9. The Roman numeral under each one is its position in the key.
Other G chords
Gmaj9 chord questions
What notes are in a Gmaj9 chord?
Gmaj9 is made of G, B, D, F♯ and A. In intervals that is 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 above the root, G.
What is the easiest way to play Gmaj9?
The first shape above is the most common one: 3 0 0 0 0 2 from the low E string to the high E, where x means don't play that string and 0 means play it open. Start there, and try the other shapes once it feels comfortable.
Is Gmaj9 a barre chord?
The main shape above is an open chord with no barre. Some of the other shapes further up the neck do use a barre, which lets you move the same shape to any key.