F9 chord on guitar

F9 is F, A, C, E♭ and G. The usual shape is 1-0-1-0-1-1. Tap Play, then slow it down.

1-0-1-0-1-1 · open · medium

Notes: F · A · C · E♭ · G
Formula: 1 · 3 · 5 · ♭7 · 9
First shape: 1-0-1-0-1-1

How to play F9 on guitar

Shape 1, 1-0-1-0-1-1, reading from the low E string on the left:

F: index finger, 1st fret of the low E string.
E♭: middle finger, 1st fret of the D string.
C: ring finger, 1st fret of the B string.
F: pinky finger, 1st fret of the high E string.
Leave the A and G strings open: A and G.

Arch your fingers so their tips come down vertically. That keeps them off the open strings, which have to ring for the chord to sound complete.
Your little finger has a job in this shape; it gets stronger in a week or two of short daily practice.

Other ways to play F9

1-3-1-2-1-3: barre shape, hard. Built on the E9 open shape with the barre as a movable nut; the root is on the 6th string.
x-8-5-8-6-5: partial barre shape at the 5th fret, medium. Same notes, stacked differently, so it sounds a little different.
13-15-13-14-13-15: barre shape at the 13th fret, medium. The root is on the low E string, so you can slide this shape to play any dominant ninth chord.

Playing F9 with a capo

With a capo you can skip the harder shapes: capo on the 1st fret and play the open E9 shape (0-2-0-1-0-2) or capo on the 5th fret and play the open C9 shape (x-3-2-3-3-3). Everything above the capo is fingered exactly like the open chord.

Changing from F9 to the chords around it

The chords F9 usually goes to, and what changes under your fingers.

B♭ (dominant, pulls to the chord a fifth below): F9 (1-0-1-0-1-1) to B♭ (x-1-3-3-3-1): the index finger lays across the A to high E strings at the 1st fret, move the middle finger to the D string, 3rd fret, your ring finger lands on the G string, 3rd fret. Nothing carries over, so drill it slowly, lifting and landing all fingers at once. The two chords share F, which is why the change sounds smooth. B♭ on guitar
B♭maj7 (I in B♭ major): F9 (1-0-1-0-1-1) to B♭maj7 (x-1-3-2-3-1): the index finger lays across the A to high E strings at the 1st fret, the middle finger goes to the G string, 2nd fret, move the ring finger to the D string, 3rd fret. Everything moves: lift the whole hand and place the new shape in one go. The two chords share F and A, which is why the change sounds smooth. B♭maj7 on guitar
Gm7 (vi in B♭ major): F9 (1-0-1-0-1-1) to Gm7 (3-5-3-3-3-3): the index finger lays across the low E to high E strings at the 3rd fret, move the middle finger to the A string, 5th fret. Shared notes: F and G. Gm7 on guitar

F9 is a dominant ninth: F7 with the ninth on top. F9 is the funk and soul version of F7, fuller on top and still pulling toward its resolution. Play it once strummed and once picked to hear the difference.

Getting F9 under your fingers

Arpeggiate 1-0-1-0-1-1 from the lowest string: F, A, E♭, G, C, F. Then strum it and listen for the same 6 notes together. Then switch to 1-3-1-2-1-3 and back four times without looking at your hand.

Keys and progressions with F9

F9 on piano and ukulele

The same notes on another instrument: F9 on piano and F9 on ukulele. This page puts all three side by side.

Related F chords on guitar

Other dominant ninth chords

F9 on guitar: questions

What notes are in F9 on guitar?

F, A, C, E♭ and G. In the 1-0-1-0-1-1 shape the strings play F (low E string), A (A string, open), E♭ (D string), G (G string, open), C (B string) and F (high E string), so F is doubled.

What's the easiest way to play F9 on guitar?

The friendliest F9 shape is 1-0-1-0-1-1. It uses 4 fingers and no barre, with open strings, and in many songs a capo can take over part of the work.

Is F9 a barre chord on guitar?

Not the usual shape: 1-0-1-0-1-1 needs no barre. There are barre versions further up the neck, shown below it.

Which string does F9 start on?

In the 1-0-1-0-1-1 shape the lowest string you play is the low E string at the 1st fret, which is F, the root.

Shapes and sound are generated from the notes F, A, C, E♭ and G and tested automatically. Updated September 2026.