Scale degrees · G major

The 9 of G is A

The 9 (nine) of G is A: a major ninth above the root.

G — the root, 1A — the 9

How to find it

A 9th is a 2nd an octave up, so it takes the 2nd's letter: G, A.

Then the sound: a major ninth is 14 semitones above G, which is exactly where A is — no sharp or flat needed.

Where you meet it

The 9 is the 2 an octave up: the first extension on almost any chord, major, minor or dominant.

In Gmaj9:

G · B · D · F♯ · A

The 9 in every key

KeyThe 9
CD
GA
DE
AB
EF♯
BC♯
F♯G♯
D♭E♭
A♭B♭
E♭F
B♭C
FG

Every degree of G

Free on iPhone and Android

Name it before
you can count it.

Improvy trains every degree in all 12 keys — the 3, the ♭7, the ♯11 — until you see the note without working it out. A few minutes a day. Free to start; Pro is one payment, never a subscription.

Or try the 60-second test in your browser