Amaj9 Guitar Chord | Play, Hear and Practice Interactively

A maj9 position 1 guitar chord diagram

An Amaj9 chord, also called A major ninth, is made of A, C#, E, G# and B. The distance from the root to the ninth is fourteen semitones, a major second plus an octave.

Four voicings are mapped out here, three of them with open strings and two using a barre. It is often heard in jazz. Lydian is the other classic match: the A Lydian scale contains all five chord tones and has a raised fourth. Related colourful voicings are covered in gypsy jazz chords.

Set a tempo in the chord player above, start the drums and play Amaj9 along with the loop.

A major 9th guitar chord is also written as Amaj9, AM9, AΔ9 or Ama9.

Notes of the A maj9 chord:

A C# E G# B

How to create the Major Ninth chord:

Formula: 1 3 5 7 9

A Maj9 Chord Interactive Fretboard

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Go to the full guitar chords tutorial.

A Maj9 Guitar Chord Diagrams

Position 1 Open

A maj9 position 1 guitar chord diagram

Finger Positions

  • Mute the low E string
  • Let the A string play without pressing any fret
  • Let the B string play without pressing any fret
  • Let the high E string play without pressing any fret
  • Place your index finger (1) on the fret 1 of the G string
  • Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 2 of the D string

Position 2 Barre Movable

A maj9 position 2 guitar chord diagram

Finger Positions

  • Mute the high E string
  • Place your index finger (1) on the fret 4 of the A and G strings at the same time
  • Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 5 of the low E string
  • Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 5 of the B string
  • Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 6 of the D string

Position 3 Open

A maj9 position 3 guitar chord diagram

Finger Positions

  • Mute the low E string
  • Let the high E string play without pressing any fret
  • Place your index finger (1) on the fret 11 of the D string
  • Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 12 of the A string
  • Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 12 of the B string
  • Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 13 of the G string

Position 4 Barre Open

A maj9 position 4 guitar chord diagram

Finger Positions

  • Mute the low E string
  • Let the A string play without pressing any fret
  • Place your index finger (1) on the fret 2 of the D and B strings at the same time
  • Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 4 of the G string
  • Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 4 of the high E string

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Play This Chord With Other Roots

C maj9 | D maj9 | E maj9 | F maj9 | G maj9 | A maj9 | B maj9 | C#maj9 | D#maj9 | F#maj9 | G#maj9 | A#maj9 | Abmaj9 | Bbmaj9 | Dbmaj9 | Ebmaj9 | Gbmaj9

Giancarlo Facoetti, founder of FaChords Guitar

Created by

Giancarlo Facoetti

Giancarlo is a musician (teaching guitar since 2000), software engineer, AI consultant and published researcher

FAQ

What are the notes of Amaj9?

A, C#, E, G# and B. It is an A major triad with a major seventh, G#, and a ninth, B, added.

How many voicings of Amaj9 can you play on guitar?

Four voicings in total. Three include open strings and two include a barre, between fret 1 and fret 13.

What does the major seventh G# do in A major ninth?

G# is a semitone short of the root A, which gives the chord its bright, floating colour. It is the seventh degree of the A major scale.

Which scale fits Amaj9?

The A major scale: A, B, C#, D, E, F# and G#. Every chord tone sits in it, so melodies over Amaj9 can stay inside that scale.