G# Minor 9th (G#m9)

Also written as Ab Minor 9th (Ab and G# are the same key).

1+b3+5+b7+9
BG#D#F#A#
4 4
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Notes in G# Minor 9th

G# (root)BD#F#A#

Inversions

Same notes as G# Minor 9th, with a different chord tone as the lowest note. Useful for smoother movement between chords instead of jumping around the keyboard.

Root position

G# in the bass

BG#D#F#A#

1st inversion

B in the bass

BD#F#A#G#

2nd inversion

D# in the bass

BD#F#A#G#

3rd inversion

F# in the bass

BF#A#G#D#

4th inversion

A# in the bass

BA#G#D#F#

Open voicings

A close-position chord like G# Minor 9th can sound cluttered in the middle of the keyboard. Jazz players open it up by dropping one note down an octave, spreading the same notes wider without changing the chord.

Drop 2

F# on the bottom

BF#G#D#A#

Drop 3

D# on the bottom

BD#G#F#A#

G# Minor 9th is built from G#, B, D#, F# and A#.

A minor seventh chord with a ninth added softens the mood even further into something smooth and atmospheric. Jazz, R&B and lo-fi styles all reach for it whenever a minor chord needs to feel rich rather than sparse.

Difficulty: Advanced. Category: Extended chords. Click any key on the diagram above to hear that single note.