Bmaj9: guitar chord voicings, inversions, scales and arpeggios
Bmaj9 (maj9) is an interactive GuitarArcanum page with chord formula, intervals, voicings, inversions, triads, pentatonic patterns, scales and arpeggios on the fretboard.
Chord formula
Interval formula: 1 3 5 7 9. A major 7th with the 9th added on top — a soft, open tonic chord that's brighter and richer than a plain maj7.
Chord tones
The major 7th gives the softness and the 9th opens the chord upward. The 5th is usually dropped, leaving 1 – 3 – 7 – 9.
Sound character
Bright, open and restful — common in bossa nova, neo-soul and ballads.
Harmonic function
A tonic, or tonic color. It stands in for a plain major or a maj7 when you want a richer kind of rest.
Typical progressions
- C#m9 – F#9 – Bmaj9
- Bmaj9 – G#m9
- Emaj9 – Bmaj9
Guitar voicing advice
Root on the 6th or 5th string, 5th dropped. Keep the 3rd and 7th close together and the 9th on top.
Compatible scales for Bmaj9
Other chord qualities on the B root
Compare this chord with other qualities sharing the same root.
- B (Major)
- Bm (Minor)
- Bdim (Diminished)
- Baug (Augmented)
- Bsus4 (Sus4)
- B6 (Maj6)
- Bmaj7 (Major 7)
- Bmaj7b5 (Maj7b5)
- Bmaj7sus4 (Maj7sus4)
- Bmaj7#11 (Maj7#11)
- Bm6 (Min6)
- Bm7 (Minor 7)
- Bmmaj7 (MinMaj7)
- B7 (Dominant 7)
- B7b5 (Dom7b5)
- B7sus4 (Dom7sus4)
- B7#11 (Dom7#11)
- Bm7b5 (m7b5)
- Bdim7 (Dim7)
- Bdimmaj7 (DimMaj7)
- Bdimmaj7b13 (DimMaj7b13)
- Baugmaj7 (AugMaj7)
- Baug7 (Aug7)
- B9 (9)
- Bm9 (m9)
- Badd9 (add9)
- B7b9 (7b9)
- B7#9 (7#9)
- B6/9 (6/9)
- Bm6/9 (m6/9)
- Bmmaj9 (m(maj9))
- B9sus4 (9sus4)
- B9b5 (9b5)
- B9#5 (9#5)
- Bmadd9 (madd9)
- B7b9#9 (7b9#9)
- Bsus2 (sus2)
- B11 (11)
- Bmaj11 (maj11)
- Bm11 (m11)
- B13 (13)
- Bmaj13 (maj13)
- Bm13 (m13)
- B7b13 (7b13)
- B13#11 (13#11)
- B7alt (7alt)