Bm9 guitar chord: see the fingering, compare positions, and hear it before you play.
P - i - m - a - m - i · Smooth Bossa (2/4 · 6 notes · Level 2)
From the bass on the 5th to the 1st string there are 4 different notes. Six plucks give time to hear them. All 6 arpeggios
Subtle syncopation and oscillating timbre.
Bm9 is built from B, D, F#, A and C#. B is the root, D the minor third, F# the fifth, A the minor seventh and C# the ninth. Said aloud, its notes are B, D, F sharp, A and C sharp.
String by string, low to high, it plays B, D, A, C# and F#. It runs from B on string 5 up to F# on string 1.
For Bm9, your index finger barres fret 2. In Bm9, only one string rings open, string 4, which gives D. String 6 stays silent. Every finger presses at fret 2. There is one more position, starting at fret 7.
Change only string 4 in Bm9 and you have B9. Inside Bm9 sits a complete D chord, made of D, F# and A. Moving to A, you keep two fingers down.
You will find Bm9 in four different keys. In D major it is the vi9, in A major the ii9 and in B minor the i9. The rest appear in the key list.
B 1D ♭3F# 5A ♭7C# 9
Root Bass (Fundamental String)5th String (A) • Fret 2 (B)
String Control (Muted & Active)5 / 6 • 1 X Muted
Placement tip: Barre fret 2. Press: 5th String (A) at fret 2 with your Index finger. Play open: 4th String (D). Don't play: 6th String (Low E).
Placement tip: Barre fret 7. Press: 1st String (High E) at fret 9 with your Ring finger. Don't play: 5th String (A).
| Item | In this chord |
|---|---|
| Frets | fret 2 |
| Barre | fret 2, from the 3rd to the 1st string |
| Fretting fingers | 4 |
| Open | 4th |
| Muted | 6th |
At fret 2, only the barre sounds the 3rd, 2nd, and 1st strings.
The open 4th string sits next to a fretting finger.
Listen: Bm9 → A · Bm · F#
Bm9 sits in the scale of 4 keys.
The questions that come up most when playing this chord
To play the Bm9 chord on guitar, only 5 strings are played, from string 5 to string 1. Muted strings must be gently dampened with the fleshy side of a fretting finger to prevent dissonance.
The primary bass note of the Bm9 chord is its root note: B. In standard guitar tuning (EADGBe), this bass note is located on string 5 at fret 2.
When strumming or fingerpicking, strike this string first.
The Bm9 chord is constructed using the 1 - ♭3 - 5 - ♭7 - 9 formula (Minor Ninth). Its constituent pitches are B, D, F#, A, C#.
To prevent fret buzz on the Bm9 barre chord, roll your index finger slightly outward (about 15 degrees) to press with its harder bony edge. Position your finger directly behind the fret wire and apply gentle arm pull from your back rather than squeezing with thumb force.
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