G#9 Chord On The Guitar (G Sharp 9) – Diagrams, Finger Positions and Theory

The G#9 (G sharp 9) chord contains the notes G#, B#, D#, F# and A#. It is produced by taking the 1 (root), 3, 5, b7 and 9 of the G# Major scale. The 9th note of the scale (A#) is the same as the 2nd note, but we refer to it as a 9, as this implies that the chord is a dominant 7 chord (1, 3, 5, 7) with a 9 included.

The 9th chord is a very popular guitar chord in Jazz, Funk and Blues. It is in many ways, the go-to ‘funk’ chord. The 9th chord can often be substituted for a dominant 7 chord. Let’s take an example chord progression:

Try playing this chord progression. After a while, try substituting the G#7 chord for a G#9 chord. You should hear that the chord progression sounds very similar, but the inclusion of the G#9 chord gives the chord progression a jazzy sound.

The most common way to play G#9 is with the root note on the 11th fret of the 5th string (first shape in the pic below).

10 Ways To Play The G#9 Chord

If you’ve come to this page just to view some chord diagrams for G#9, here they are.

G Sharp 9 Chord 10 Shapes

Some Quick G#9 Chord Theory

  • The G#9 chord contains the notes G#, B#, D#, F# and A#.
  • The G#9 chord is produced by taking the 1 (root), 3, 5, b7 and 9 of the G# Major scale.
  • The 9th note of the G# Major scale (A#) is the same as the 2nd note of the scale.
  • The G#9 can be used as a substitute for the G#7 chord.
  • The G#9 is essentially a G sharp dominant 7 chord with an added 9.
  • The G# mixolydian mode can be used when soloing over the G#9 chord.

Further Reading

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