G9 piano chord — the keys, the inversions, the theory

G9 is a ninth chord built from G, B, D, F, A. Below: the keys to press, every inversion with its own diagram, the intervals it is made of, the keys whose scale contains it, and a progression that actually uses it. Press any diagram to hear it.

G9

G · B · D · F · A

Piano keyboardC4C5

Semitones above the root: 0 – 4 – 7 – 10 – 14

A major third with a flattened seventh above it: unstable on purpose, and it wants to resolve a fourth up.

Inversions of G9

  • Root position

    G · B · D · F · A · bass G

  • Inversion 1

    B · D · F · G · A · bass B

  • Inversion 2

    D · F · G · A · B · bass D

  • Inversion 3

    F · G · A · B · D · bass F

Same chord, different note at the bottom. Press a diagram to hear it — inversions are how you move between chords without jumping your hand across the keyboard.

Keys that contain G9

  • CV

In C it does this job: I – V – vi – IV

  1. C
  2. G9
  3. Am
  4. F

Questions