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The Fm(add9) chord (F minor add nine) on guitar

Fm(add9) is F minor with one extra note on top, G, the ninth. The minor chord keeps its darkness, and the G lets it breathe. It is a chord for arpeggios, slow intros and cinematic moments. One rule runs through every shape on this page: keep the Ab. Without it the chord stops being minor.

Fm(add9) chord: notes and shapes at a glance

  • Name: F minor add nine
  • Symbol: Fm(add9)
  • Notes: F, Ab, C, G

Each shape below is written from the thickest string to the thinnest: a number is the fret, 0 an open string, x a string you do not play. New to this? See how to read chord diagrams.

Shape Frets, low E to high E Notes, low to high What it is for
Fm(add9), four strings xx3113 F Ab C G All four notes on the top strings: F, Ab, C, and G on top with the fourth finger.
Fm(add9), thumb bass 1x3113 F F Ab C G The thumb adds F on the low E and mutes the fifth string. A real bass without the full barre.
Fm(add9), barre 133113 F C F Ab C G The Fm barre with the fourth finger moved to the high E at fret 3. Dense and dramatic.
Fm(add9), fifth fret x8658x F Ab C G Root on the fifth string at fret 8, the ninth on the B string at fret 8. A wide stretch, but four clear notes; mute both E strings.
Fm(add9), four strings x x 3 1 1 3 · · 3 1 1 4 fingers
Fm(add9), thumb bass 1 x 3 1 1 3 T · 3 1 1 4 fingers
Fm(add9), barre 1 3 3 1 1 3 1 2 3 1 1 4 fingers
Fm(add9), fifth fret x 8 6 5 8 x · 3 2 1 4 · fingers

Read each diagram from the thickest string on the left to the thinnest on the right. A cross means the string is not played, a circle means it rings open.

Fm(add9) on the neck: every F, Ab, C, G

Standard tuning, frets 0 to 12. The highlighted notes are the notes of Fm(add9): any shape you build from them, anywhere on the neck, is still Fm(add9).

Fretboard notes
Swipe the fretboard sideways to see every fret.
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
1 - E
E
F
Gb
G
Ab
A
Bb
B
C
Db
D
Eb
E
2 - B
B
C
Db
D
Eb
E
F
Gb
G
Ab
A
Bb
B
3 - G
G
Ab
A
Bb
B
C
Db
D
Eb
E
F
Gb
G
4 - D
D
Eb
E
F
Gb
G
Ab
A
Bb
B
C
Db
D
5 - A
A
Bb
B
C
Db
D
Eb
E
F
Gb
G
Ab
A
6 - E
E
F
Gb
G
Ab
A
Bb
B
C
Db
D
Eb
E

From Fm to Fm(add9): move one finger

Start from the Fm barre and only the high E changes.

Chord Shape High E
Fm 133111 Fret 1, F
Fm(add9) 133113 Fret 3, G

The catch is the fingering. In Fm the third and fourth fingers hold the fifth and fourth strings; here the fourth finger must go to the high E. So the second finger takes the fifth string and the third finger the fourth string, both at fret 3. Practice the switch slowly: Fm, Fm(add9), Fm, four beats each.

Check the third string first. It holds Ab under the barre at fret 1, and it is the note that tends to die. Then check that the G on the high E rings without touching the B string below it.

The four shapes, from easiest

Four strings: xx3113

First finger across the third and second strings at fret 1, third finger on the fourth string at fret 3, fourth finger on the high E at fret 3. Strum from the fourth string.

Thumb bass: 1x3113

Same shape, plus the thumb on the low E at fret 1 for the root. The thumb also mutes the fifth string.

Full barre: 133113

The densest version, with F and C doubled. On a loud strum it can sound thick; for arpeggios it is beautiful.

Fifth string root: x8658x

Third finger on the fifth string at fret 8 (F), second finger on the fourth string at fret 6 (Ab), first finger on the third string at fret 5 (C), fourth finger on the B string at fret 8 (G). It spans four frets, so warm up first. Mute the low E with the third finger's tip and the high E with the fourth finger's underside.

Fm(add9), Fsus2, Fadd9, Fm9: not the same chord

Chord Notes What changes
Fm(add9) F, Ab, C, G Minor chord kept, ninth added.
Fsus2 F, G, C No third: neither major nor minor.
Fadd9 F, A, C, G Major third, A, instead of Ab.
Fm9 F, Ab, C, Eb, G The seventh, Eb, is added too: denser.

Progressions to try

Progression Shapes
Fm, Fm(add9), Fm 133111, 133113, 133111
Fm(add9), Db, Ab, Eb 133113, x46664, 466544, x68886
Fm(add9), Bbm, Db, C 133113, x13321, x46664, x35553

Use it at chosen moments, the first chord of a song or the last one, not in place of every Fm. If the ninth clashes with the melody, go back to plain F minor. More patterns on the chord progressions page.

Frequently asked questions

How do you play Fm(add9) on guitar?
The full version is 133113: first finger barred at fret 1, second finger on the fifth string at fret 3, third finger on the fourth string at fret 3, fourth finger on the high E at fret 3. For a lighter shape, play xx3113 on the top four strings.
What notes are in Fm(add9)?
F, Ab, C and G: the F minor chord, plus G, the ninth. There is no seventh.
What is the difference between Fm(add9) and Fsus2?
Fsus2 is F, G, C: the G replaces the third, so the chord is neither major nor minor. Fm(add9) keeps the Ab and adds the G. If the Ab does not ring, you are playing a sus2.
What is the difference between Fm(add9) and Fm9?
Fm9 also has the seventh, Eb: F, Ab, C, Eb, G. Fm(add9) has no seventh, so it is lighter and more open.
Is Fmadd9 the same as Fm(add9)?
Yes. Fmadd9, Fm(add9) and Fm add9 are three spellings of the same chord. The parentheses just make it easier to read.
Yohann Abbou, guitar teacher and founder of Guitar Social Club

Who made this

Guitar Social Club is the work of Yohann Abbou, a guitar teacher in Paris who teaches adults. Every shape on this page is written string by string and checked against standard tuning, and the diagrams are drawn from those same fret numbers. The rest of our free guitar tools, including the chord finder, work the same way.

More about Yohann on his page, and about why Guitar Social Club exists.