Guitar · major ninth
F♯maj9 Chord on Guitar
F# Major 9th is F#, A#, C#, E#, G# — the 1-3-5-7-9 pattern of a major ninth chord. Here is the shape, the audio, and what usually goes wrong.
There is no open F#maj9 on guitar. The one shape below sits up the neck and is rated advanced.
Start here — Movable Root-5 Shape (8th fret)
Sits at fret 8 — tighter and brighter than the low shapes, and high enough to keep out of the way of anyone playing the open version underneath.
What beginners get wrong
Moving in and out of it
The shape above: Movable Root-5 Shape (8th fret).
Listening: each shape above has its own play button, and each one plays the notes that shape actually produces — not a generic triad.
F#maj9 on other instruments
Same notes, different hands. Every link below is a real page with diagrams and audio.
Chords next door
Same root, different colour — and all of them playable on guitar.
F#maj9 on Guitar — questions people ask
What is the easiest way to play F#maj9 on guitar?
“Movable Root-5 Shape (8th fret)” — which we rate advanced — is the easiest F#maj9 shape on guitar. Sits at fret 8 — tighter and brighter than the low shapes, and high enough to keep out of the way of anyone playing the open version underneath. There is no open F#maj9 on guitar, so a barre is unavoidable; this is the least demanding one.
What notes are in the F# Major 9th chord?
F# Major 9th is F#, A#, C#, E#, G# — the 1-3-5-7-9 interval pattern of a major ninth chord. Every voicing on this page uses those notes and nothing else; they just appear in a different order and octave.
What can I play instead of F#maj9?
The nearest stand-ins on guitar that keep the same root are F#sus4, F#sus2, F#. They keep the root and the fifth and only change what sits in the middle, so most songs still work — but check the swap against the melody, because the note you removed may be the one the tune is singing.
Can I play F#maj9 on other instruments?
Yes. F#maj9 is the same set of notes everywhere; only the fingering changes. This site has diagrams and audio for it on piano, ukulele.
Learn the theory behind F#maj9
The shape gets your fingers there. These explain why it sounds the way it does.