F#m9 Ukulele Chord

F#m9 is the F sharp minor ninth chord. It has five notes: F sharp, A, C sharp, E and G sharp. Four strings can hold four of them, so every shape drops the fifth. The standard shape uses three fingers in the first four frets with the open A string as the flat third.

132G♯EF♯A

Three fingers in the first four frets with the open A string ringing as the flat third. The ninth sits at the 1st fret of the g string, and the fifth is left out as always.

How to play F#m9 on ukulele, step by step

  1. Index finger: 1st fret, G string
  2. Middle finger: 2nd fret, E string
  3. Ring finger: 4th fret, C string
  4. Leave the A string open. Strum all four strings.

The open A string is the flat third, the note that makes the chord minor. The ninth, G sharp, sits under your index at the 1st fret of the g string.

More ways to play F#m9

There are 2 common F#m9 shapes: the standard one at the top of the page, plus these further up the neck. You only ever need one. Tap any card to hear it.

Frets 9 to 12
F#m9 ukulele chord diagram, frets 9 to 12, played 11 9 12 11

Compact and dark, all four notes fretted at the top of the neck. The controlled version for when the song lives up there.

If it sounds unclear

The stretch to the 4th fret fails
The ring finger reaches the C string at the 4th fret while the index stays at the 1st. Drop the thumb low on the back of the neck and the span opens up.
The open A string is muffled
The middle finger on the E string sits right beside it. Keep it on its tip so the open A, the flat third, rings free.
The chord sounds vague
The root F sharp is fretted at the 2nd fret of the E string, in the middle of the voicing. Make sure that note speaks clearly; the ear organises the rest of the chord around it.

What makes it an F#m9

F♯ · A · C♯ · E · G♯ 1 ♭3 5 ♭7 9

F#m9 is an F#m7 chord with a ninth added: F sharp, A, C sharp and E make the minor seventh, and the G sharp makes it a ninth. The shapes here keep the root, flat third, flat seventh and ninth and drop the fifth, the one note a ninth chord can spare.

It is the ii chord of E and the vi of A, two keys ukulele players borrow from guitar songbooks all the time, so F#m9 gets called on more than its name suggests. Minor ninths are the everyday minor of soul and jazz, where a plain minor seventh can sound bare.

F#m9 vs F#m7

F#m9 adds a G sharp, the ninth, to the four notes of F#m7. The ninth sits a whole step above the root an octave up and keeps the chord floating instead of settling into plain sadness.

F#m7 on a ukulele is an alternating two finger shape; this F#m9 trades it for a three finger spread and one open string. The reward is the ninth ringing at the top of the little grip.

F#m9 chord questions

Is F#m9 the same as Gbm9?

Yes, one chord with two names. F sharp suits the sharp keys this chord lives in, so it is the spelling used here.

What is the difference between F#m9 and F#m7?

F#m9 has a G sharp, the ninth, added to the four notes of F#m7. Same chord, more colour on top.

Why is there no C sharp in the shape?

Four strings sound and the chord has five notes, so one has to go. The fifth adds weight but no character, which is why ninth chords always drop it.

What is the shape at the 9th fret for?

It is the movable minor ninth claw, the same grip as Fm9 one fret lower, reaching the 12th fret. On a soprano that is the top of the neck, so treat it as a concert and tenor shape.

Where is F#m9 used?

As the ii chord in E and the vi in A, and anywhere an F sharp minor is written and a richer sound is wanted.

Chords to learn next

Other F# chords