1,008 guitar chords with several shapes each, finger numbers, difficulty and real sound, in any tuning.
A9 is a dominant ninth chord made of 5 notes: A, C♯, E, G, B. It sounds funky and full, a seventh chord with more colour, and you hear it in funk, soul and blues, where it often replaces a plain 7th chord. It is the V chord of D major and turns up in 2 other keys.
The library above opens on A9 with 14 shapes up and down the neck. Tap a shape to hear it, or play it one string at a time.
| Note | Degree | Interval from A | Semitones |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 1 | root | 0 |
| C♯ | 3 | major third | 4 |
| E | 5 | perfect fifth | 7 |
| G | ♭7 | minor seventh | 10 |
| B | 9 | major ninth | 14 |
Formula: 1 – 3 – 5 – ♭7 – 9. On guitar the 5th is often left out of the bigger shapes without changing the chord.
x02423545000x05600x(12)(11)(12)(12)(12)5420005454xxThe fret 4 shape is the one to learn first. Once it is easy, try the shape at the 5th fret (x05600): the same chord, higher and brighter, handy when the chords before and after it sit up the neck.
A9 belongs to 3 keys: V in D major, V7 in D minor, VII in B minor. In D major, try I–V–vi–IV: D – A9 – Bm – G.
A, C♯, E, G, B: the root, major third, fifth, minor seventh, ninth.
Fret 4: 545000 (low string first), rated Beginner.
A9 has B. A9 sounds funky and full, a seventh chord with more colour; A7 sounds restless; it wants to move on, usually to the chord a fifth below.
No. The easiest shape is rated Beginner and needs 3 fingers.