F9 Guitar Chord

F9 is the F dominant ninth chord. It has five notes: F, A, C, E♭ and G. It is F7 with a ninth added on top, and it is the chord blues, soul and funk players usually reach for when a chart just says F7.

The movable E9 shape at the 1st fret, with the root on the low E string. Slide the same grip up the neck and it names whatever note the low E is playing.

How to play F9, step by step

Index finger: press flat across the low E to B strings at fret 1
Middle finger: 2nd fret, G string
Pinky finger: 3rd fret, high E string
Strum from the low E down. The A string stays muted; let the nearest fretting finger touch it lightly.

More ways to play F9

There are 2 common F9 shapes in total: the standard one at the top of the page, plus these, easiest first. You only ever need one. Tap any card to hear it.

F9 guitar chord diagram, easier, no barre, played x8788x — Easier, no barre

Songs that use the F9 chord

C G7 E7 A7 D7 DmF9
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If it buzzes or sounds muffled

The barre notes do not all sound: Only the low E, D and B strings actually need the barre here. Roll the index finger slightly onto its side and check those three one at a time rather than pressing harder along the whole finger.
The A string rings when it should not: It is muted on purpose. The underside of the index finger should rest against it. If it still sounds, let the finger flatten a little more at that point.
The pinky cannot reach the 3rd fret: The stretch from a 1st fret barre to the 3rd fret is what makes this shape hard. Bring your thumb down behind the neck and keep the wrist forward, or use the no barre shape at the 7th fret while the stretch develops.

What makes it an F9

F · A · C · E♭ · G 1 3 5 ♭7 9

A ninth chord is a dominant seventh with the ninth stacked above it. F7 is F, A, C and E♭. Add G, the ninth, and you have F9. The G is the same note as the second of the scale, but it is called the ninth because it sits above the seventh rather than next to the root. The chord still does a dominant's job: in the key of B♭ it is the V9, and the A and E♭ inside it grind against each other and pull toward B♭. The ninth does not change where the chord goes, only how it sounds on the way, which is why it turns up wherever a plain seventh would feel too plain.

F9 vs F7

F9 is F7 with one extra note, the G on top. They do the same job and can usually be swapped for each other. F7 is blunter and heavier, which suits a slow blues. F9 is smoother and more colourful, which is why funk and soul rhythm parts almost always use it. If a chart says F7 and the record sounds richer than your chord, F9 is often what you are hearing. On guitar F9 is the harder grip, because five notes and a barre leave very little room for the fingers.

F9 chord questions

Is F9 a hard chord?

Yes, by beginner standards. Both shapes need four fingers, and the standard one adds a barre and a stretch to the 3rd fret. It is normally learned well after the open chords and the F barre chord.

What is the difference between F9 and Fadd9?

F9 contains the flat seventh, E♭, and Fadd9 does not. Fadd9 is just F major with a G added. F9 is a dominant chord that wants to move somewhere; Fadd9 is a colour on a chord that is already at rest.

Can I play F7 instead of F9?

Almost always yes. They share four of five notes and the same function. The ninth is a flavour, not a different chord, so nothing breaks if you leave it out.

Why does the A string get muted?

The shape puts the notes it needs on the other five strings, and the A string at the 1st fret would add a B♭, which is not in the chord. Muting it is easier than reaching for a note that would fit.

What songs use F9?

Ain't She Sweet, the jazz standard recorded by Ben Bernie, uses it. It is more common as a rhythm chord in blues and funk than as a named chord in a songbook.