Gmaj9 Piano Chord

Gmaj9 is the G major ninth chord. It has five notes: G, B, D, F sharp and A. Four are white keys and only the F sharp is black, but the stack spans a ninth, so the G usually goes to the left hand.

G at the bottom, then B, D, F sharp and A. If the span is too wide, the left hand takes G and the right hand plays the top four notes.

How to play Gmaj9 on piano, step by step

Start on the G below middle C. That is the lowest note of the chord.
Thumb (1): G
Index finger (2): B
Middle finger (3): D
Ring finger (4): F♯
Little finger (5): A
That reach is wider than an octave, so most players split it: play G with the left hand and the other notes with the right. If you keep it in one hand, leave out the fifth (D), the note the chord misses least.

The single black key, F sharp, sits under the ring finger and is the note that makes the chord glow. The A above it is the ninth; together they surround the missing high G.

If it sounds wrong

The reach is too wide: Play G with the left hand and B, D, F sharp and A with the right. The split version is the version most people use.
It sounds like a blues chord: That is F natural in place of F sharp. The flat seventh makes it G9, which pushes toward C; the major ninth needs the black key.
The ninth disappears: The A on the little finger is the colour note. Tilt the hand slightly toward it so the top of the chord is heard, not just the middle.

What makes it a Gmaj9

G · B · D · F♯ · A 1 3 5 7 9

Gmaj9 is Gmaj7 with a ninth added: G, B, D and F sharp make the major seventh chord, and the A on top makes it a ninth. The F sharp a half step under the octave and the A a whole step above it are the pair that make the chord shimmer.

It is the I chord of G major at its softest. G is the friendliest guitar key there is, so songs in G are everywhere, and this chord is how a piano part lets the home chord of one sound unhurried.

Gmaj9 vs Gmaj7

Gmaj9 is Gmaj7 with an A added on top. One white key, and the settled chord gains a layer of air.

The practical difference is span. Gmaj7 sits in one hand; Gmaj9 reaches a ninth, so split it between hands or leave out the D, the fifth.

Questions about Gmaj9

Which notes are in a Gmaj9 chord on piano?

G, B, D, F sharp and A. F sharp is the only black key.

What is the difference between Gmaj9 and G9?

The seventh. G9 has F natural and pushes toward C; Gmaj9 has F sharp and rests. One key apart, opposite jobs.

What is the difference between Gmaj9 and Gadd9?

Gadd9 has no seventh: a plain G chord with an A added, bright and open. Gmaj9 keeps the F sharp and sounds dreamy instead.

Why are there no inversions on this page?

Gmaj9 is wider than an octave, so lifting the G an octave lands it between the F sharp and A, a cluster nothing teaches. Players rearrange ninths as rootless voicings, which is its own later topic.

Where is Gmaj9 used?

As the I chord in G in soft pop, folk influenced piano and jazz, wherever the home chord should sound warm but not final.