1,008 guitar chords with several shapes each, finger numbers, difficulty and real sound, in any tuning.
Amaj9 is a major ninth chord made of 5 notes: A, C♯, E, G♯, B. It sounds rich and floating, and you hear it in jazz, R&B and cinematic pop. It is the I chord of A major and turns up in 3 other keys.
The library above opens on Amaj9 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 | major seventh | 11 |
| 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.
x024245066005464xx522224x0(11)(13)00546454The fret 5 shape is the one to learn first. Once it is easy, try the shape at the 11th fret (x0(11)(13)00): the same chord, higher and brighter, handy when the chords before and after it sit up the neck.
Amaj9 belongs to 4 keys: IV in E major, I in A major, VI in C♯ minor, III in F♯ minor. In A major, try I–V–vi–IV: Amaj9 – E – F♯m – D.
A, C♯, E, G♯, B: the root, major third, fifth, major seventh, ninth.
Fret 5: 506600 (low string first), rated Beginner.
Amaj9 has B. Amaj9 sounds rich and floating; Amaj7 sounds dreamy, warm and a little wistful.
No. The easiest shape is rated Beginner and needs 3 fingers.