F# Minor Major 9th (F#m(maj9))
Also written as Gb Minor Major 9th (Gb and F# are the same key).
Notes in F# Minor Major 9th
Inversions
Same notes as F# Minor Major 9th, with a different chord tone as the lowest note. Useful for smoother movement between chords instead of jumping around the keyboard.
Root position
F# in the bass
1st inversion
A in the bass (F#m(maj9)/A)
2nd inversion
C# in the bass (F#m(maj9)/C#)
3rd inversion
E# in the bass (F#m(maj9)/E#)
4th inversion
G# in the bass (F#m(maj9)/G#)
Open voicings
A close-position chord like F# Minor Major 9th can sound cluttered in the middle of the keyboard. Jazz players open it up by dropping one note down an octave, spreading the same notes wider without changing the chord.
Drop 2
E# on the bottom
Drop 3
C# on the bottom
Press F#, A, C#, E# and G# together on the keyboard and you're playing F# Minor Major 9th.
A minor major seventh with a ninth on top. The major seventh against a minor triad already sounds tense and cinematic, and the ninth softens it just enough to work as a long, brooding tonic in jazz ballads and noir style writing.