A9 guitar chord

A dominant 9th · Adom9 · A ninth

The A9 guitar chord is played 542000 in open position. Its notes are A, C#, E, G and B.

A9 open chord (542000)

Fingering: 542000
Fingers: 4 3 1 – – –
Difficulty: Easy
Position: open position

A9 open chord (x02423)

Fingering: x02423
Fingers: – – 1 3 1 2
Difficulty: Medium
Position: open position

A9 barre chord, 5th fret (575657)

Fingering: 575657
Fingers: 1 3 1 2 1 4
Difficulty: Hard
Position: barre chord, 5th fret

A9 chord at the 11th fret (x-12-11-12-12-12)

Fingering: x-12-11-12-12-12
Fingers: – 2 1 3 3 3
Difficulty: Easy
Position: 11th fret

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Notes in the A dominant 9th chord

The A9 chord is made of A · C♯ · E · G · B. Its formula is 1–3–5–♭7–9.

Note	Degree	Interval from A
A	1	root
C♯	3	major third
E	5	perfect fifth
G	♭7	minor seventh
B	9	ninth

How to play the A9 guitar chord

Put your first finger on the 2nd fret of the D string.
Put your third finger on the 4th fret of the A string.
Put your fourth finger on the 5th fret of the low E string.
Let the G, B and high E strings ring open.
Strum all six strings.

That is the open-position shape, 542000. It is rated easy: 3 fingers, 6 strings, a 4-fret stretch.

Why your A9 chord buzzes or sounds muted

The open G string sits next to a fretted string. Arch your fingers so only the fingertips touch, or that string will sound dead.

The shape spans 4 frets. Keep your thumb low behind the neck so your fingers can spread, and place the widest finger first.

A9 barre chord

A9 has 1 barre shape here: 575657 (barre at the 5th fret).

A barre shape has no open strings, so it moves. Slide it up one fret and you are playing A#9 (Bb9).

A9 open chord

The open A9 chord is 542000 and x02423. The first one uses the open G, B and high E strings, which is why it rings longer than the shapes higher up the neck.

Keys with the A9 chord

A9 is the V chord in D major. In minor keys it is the VII chord in B minor.

All 9th guitar chords

A9 guitar chord questions

How do you play an A9 chord on guitar?

Play 542000, reading from the low E string to the high E string. An x means the string is not played and a 0 means it rings open. The fingers used are 4 3 1 - - -.

What notes are in the A9 chord?

The A dominant 9th chord has 5 notes: A, C#, E, G and B. Its formula is 1–3–5–♭7–9, counted from the A major scale.

What keys is the A9 chord in?