CifraLab

G9 Guitar Chord

G9 guitar chord: see the fingering, compare positions, and hear it before you play.

Back to Chord Dictionary
Shape 1/3
Chord shapes:(3 positions)
G9Guitar fingering diagram for G912343241STRING6ªG5ªB4ªD3ªA2ªB1ªF
View HD sheet

What sets G9 apart

The notes of G9 are G, B, D, F and A. G is the root, B the major third, D the fifth, F the minor seventh and A the ninth.

String by string, low to high, it plays G, B, D, A, B and F. B appears twice in the main shape, and it is the chord's major third. It runs from G on string 6 up to F on string 1.

The open strings add notes to G9 too. String 4 gives D and string 2 gives B. Your hand covers three frets, from 1 to 3. This page has three positions. The others start at frets 2 and 10.

Change only string 3 in G9 and you have G7. Inside G9 sits a complete Dm chord, made of D, F and A. Bm shares one position with this shape.

G9 belongs to only one key, C major, where it is the V9.

Chord Progressions

Explore recommended harmonic circles on CifraLab:

01G G - Em - Am - D702Bm Bm - G - Em - F#7
Music Theory & Formula

Component notes and harmonic structure (G9)

Formula: Dominant Ninth (1 - 3 - 5 - ♭7 - 9)
Constituent chord intervals:

G 1B 3D 5F ♭7A 9

Root Bass (Fundamental String)6th String (Low E) • Fret 3 (G)

String Control (Muted & Active)6 / 6 • Active and muted strings status indicator

3 Fretboard Positions

Other fretboard positions for G9:

01

Standard

Standard Position
6 / 6 stringsRoot: 6th String (Low E)
String Control (Muted & Active):
Root
6th String (Low E)
Fret 3Finger 3
GDegree 1
5th String (A)
Fret 2Finger 2
BDegree 3
4th String (D)
○Open
DDegree 5
3rd String (G)
Fret 2Finger 4
ADegree 9
2nd String (B)
○Open
BDegree 3
1st String (High E)
Fret 1Finger 1
FDegree ♭7

Placement tip: Press: 6th String (Low E) at fret 3 with your Ring finger, 5th String (A) at fret 2 with your Middle finger, 3rd String (G) at fret 2 with your Pinky finger, 1st String (High E) at fret 1 with your Index finger. Play open: 4th String (D), 2nd String (B).

02

Barre 10

Barre fret 10
5 / 6 stringsRoot: 5th String (A)
String Control (Muted & Active):
6th String (Low E)
×Muted
Do not play
Root
5th String (A)
Fret 10Barre
GDegree 1
4th String (D)
Fret 9Finger 1
BDegree 3
3rd String (G)
Fret 10Barre
FDegree ♭7
2nd String (B)
Fret 10Barre
ADegree 9
1st String (High E)
Fret 10Barre
DDegree 5

Placement tip: Barre fret 10. Press: 4th String (D) at fret 9 with your Index finger. Don't play: 6th String (Low E).

03

Jazz shape

Inversion
4 / 6 stringsRoot: 6th String (Low E)
String Control (Muted & Active):
Root
6th String (Low E)
Fret 3Finger 2
GDegree 1
5th String (A)
×Muted
Do not play
4th String (D)
Fret 3Finger 3
FDegree ♭7
3rd String (G)
Fret 2Finger 1
ADegree 9
2nd String (B)
○Open
BDegree 3
1st String (High E)
×Muted
Do not play

Placement tip: Press: 6th String (Low E) at fret 3 with your Middle finger, 4th String (D) at fret 3 with your Ring finger, 3rd String (G) at fret 2 with your Index finger. Play open: 2nd String (B). Don't play: 5th String (A), 1st String (High E).

Biomechanics & Posture

Ergonomic tips to play without tension or fatigue (G9)

Standard Position

The shape in numbers

ItemIn this chord
Frets1 to 3
Fretting fingers4
Open4th and 2nd
Mutednone

What to check

The open 4th and 2nd strings sit next to a fretting finger.

What every chord shares is in the fingering reading.

Transitions & Pivot Fingers

Most common chord transitions from G9

Listen: G9 → Bm · Em · C

  1. G9
  2. Bm
  3. G9
  4. Em
  5. G9
  6. C
G9 → Bm01
Pivot / Anchor Finger:1 shared position
Stay in place
  • string 5, fret 2
Move
  • string 4, fret 4
  • string 3, fret 4
  • string 2, fret 3
  • string 1, fret 2
G9 → Em02
Pivot / Anchor Finger:Full shape change

No finger is shared: place the bass on string 5 first, then the rest of the shape.

Move
  • finger 1: string 5, fret 2
  • finger 2: string 4, fret 2
G9 → C03
Pivot / Anchor Finger:Full shape change

No finger is shared: place the bass on string 5 first, then the rest of the shape.

Move
  • finger 3: string 5, fret 3
  • finger 2: string 4, fret 2
  • finger 1: string 2, fret 1

G9 in every key

G9 sits in the scale of 1 keys.

Main shape at a glance

Difficulty
2/5
Highest fret
3
Frets the hand covers
3
Barre
No
Strings that ring
6/6
Fretting fingers
4

Major keys

G9 on other instruments

PianoThe same notes on the keyboard.All togetherHear guitar, piano, bass and violin together.
Frequently asked questions

Frequently asked questions about the chord (G9)

The questions that come up most when playing this chord

Which strings are played and which are muted in the G9 chord?

To play the G9 chord on guitar, all 6 strings are played from the 6th string (Low E) to the 1st string (High E). Arch your finger joints perpendicular to the fretboard so adjacent strings ring clearly.

What is the root bass note of the G9 chord and on which string is it located?

The primary bass note of the G9 chord is its root note: G. In standard guitar tuning (EADGBe), this bass note is located on string 6 at fret 3.

When strumming or fingerpicking, strike this string first.

What notes make up the G9 chord and what is its formula?

The G9 chord is constructed using the 1 - 3 - 5 - ♭7 - 9 formula (Dominant Ninth). Its constituent pitches are G, B, D, F, A.

How do you prevent the G9 chord from buzzing or sounding muted?

To prevent the G9 chord from buzzing or sounding muted, press the strings using the tips of your fingers at a strict 90-degree hammer angle. Position each finger immediately behind the fret wire with your thumb centered behind the neck.

Study sheet · High resolution

Official G9 chord diagram

G9 guitar chord diagram with fingering for fingers 1 to 4
Download HD sheet

Thanks for studying with CifraLab

If this chord helped you, support us with a coffee on Ko-fi.

Buy a coffee

Other chords in the G family:

Chord G Chord Gm Chord G#m Chord G7 Chord Gmaj7 Chord Gm7 Chord Gsus4 Chord Gadd9