F# Minor/major Ninth Ukulele Arpeggio
Ukulele arpeggio — fretboard diagram
F# Minor/major Ninth Arpeggio — Notes and Intervals
Notes: F#, A, C#, F, G#
Intervals: 1P, 3m, 5P, 7M, 9M
Formula: WH-2W-2W-WH
Number of notes: 5
Also known as: mM9, mMaj9, -^9
The F# Minor/major Ninth arpeggio contains 5 notes (F#, A, C#, F, G#). Use the interactive fretboard above to explore this arpeggio on Ukulele with different tunings and fret ranges.
When to Use the F# Minor/major Ninth Arpeggio
Play the F# Minor/major Ninth arpeggio whenever a F# Minor/major Ninth chord appears in a progression. Unlike scales (which include passing tones), arpeggios guarantee every note you play IS a chord tone, making your solo sound harmonically precise and intentional.
Arpeggio vs. Scale
The F# Minor/major Ninth arpeggio uses 5 notes (F#, A, C#, F, G#) while the full scale uses 7. The arpeggio is a subset — think of it as the skeleton of the scale. Practice alternating between the arpeggio and the full scale to develop a melodic vocabulary that mixes chord tones with passing tones.
How to Play F# Minor/major Ninth Arpeggio on Ukulele
On ukulele, find F# around fret 5 and play through the arpeggio tones (F#, A, C#, F, G#). You may need to move beyond a single chord shape to reach all 5 notes. Practice connecting the arpeggio tones smoothly across adjacent fret positions.
The F# Minor/major Ninth arpeggio outlines a F# minor chord and fits naturally over F#m, F#m7, F#m6 voicings. Use it to bring out the darker, expressive quality of minor harmony in your solos and melodies.
Practice Routine
Start by playing the F# Minor/major Ninth arpeggio ascending and descending at 60 BPM, one note per beat, using a metronome. Once even and confident, play it in eighth notes, then triplets, keeping each note articulate. Spend at least 5 minutes daily on this before moving to musical application.
Ukulele Tips
The ukulele's re-entrant tuning creates natural voice leading within the F# Minor/major Ninth arpeggio. Experiment with picking patterns that take advantage of the high G string to create unexpected interval leaps within the arpeggio shape.