G to Gmaj7 or G9

[stanron]

Originally Posted by johnd

How would playing the F# on the low E sound? Technically this would be G/F# rather than Gmaj7 but how would it sound (no guitar handy)?

It is often used as a bass note, picked separately from the chord, for example when changing from G to Em. It could also be used in the same way changing from G to C if you really wanted the low E in the bass for the C chord. In these cases it wouldn't be a G maj 7th but rather a G/B.

[johnd]

Originally Posted by Laird_Williams

Technically, it would be Gmaj7/F#, a 3rd inversion. 3rd inversions tend to sound odd, unless the bass note happens to fit nicely as a passing tone in a chromatic or melodic baseline, in which case a 3rd inversion can sound GREAT. ;-)

Thanks for the correction and advice