As the ii in a ii-V-IG major
- ii9Am9
- V7D7
- Imaj7Gmaj7
The standard cadence: Am9 carries the subdominant function before the dominant arrives.
Am9 Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The Am9 chord is a minor ninth chord built on the root note A. Its notes are A, C, E, G and B.
Transpose
Quality
Short answer
Minor ninth chords are smooth, cool and slightly melancholy. The ninth widens a minor seventh into something more spacious, which is why it anchors so much modern R&B, house and jazz comping.
- Notes
- A · C · E · G · B
- Formula
- 1 · ♭3 · 5 · ♭7 · 9
- Semitones
- 0 · 3 · 7 · 10 · 14
- Note
- A
- Quality
- Minor 9
- Symbol
- Am9
Am9 on piano
5 notesView:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
To play Am9 on piano, place your right hand with your thumb on A, index finger on C, middle finger on E, ring finger on G and little finger on B. Press the keys together and listen for an even sound. On the keyboard every note of Am9 is a white key. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
- A1
- C♭3
- E5
- G♭7
- B9
Am9 on guitar
View:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, Am9 is commonly played with the voicing shown above. The fretted notes sit between frets 2 and 5. Strings 3, 2 and 1 ring open.
A · C · E · G · B
Play Am9 on the online piano
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Am9 chord notes
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | A | |
| ♭3 | Minor third | 3 | C | |
| 5 | Perfect fifth | 7 | E | |
| ♭7 | Minor seventh | 10 | G | |
| 9 | Major ninth | 14 | B |
How to use the Am9 chord
The Am9 chord is built from a root, a minor third, a perfect fifth, a minor seventh and a major ninth. Start at the root A and stack the intervals to get the whole chord: A, C, E, G and B. The same formula gives you the chord in any other key.
Minor ninth chords stand in for minor sevenths as the ii chord in a ii-V-I, or as the tonic of a minor groove. Neo-soul, house, jazz and R&B use them as the default minor colour.
How Am9 differs from similar chords
Am9 adds a major ninth to Am7, which sets it apart from a minor triad with only an added ninth and from A9, which has a major third. Its upper four notes form the major seventh chord a minor third above the root.
Where Am9 is used
A minor chord works as the tonic of its own key, and as the vi or the ii of a major one. Each progression below is written in the key its numerals name.
Questions people ask
- What notes are in the Am9 chord?
- The Am9 chord contains A, C, E, G and B.
- Is the Am9 chord major or minor?
- Am9 is a minor ninth chord. Minor ninth chords are smooth, cool and slightly melancholy. The ninth widens a minor seventh into something more spacious, which is why it anchors so much modern R&B, house and jazz comping.
- How do you play Am9 on piano?
- Place your fingers on A, C, E, G and B and play them together. The root usually goes to the little finger of the left hand, the upper notes to the right. On the keyboard every note of Am9 is a white key.
- How do you play Am9 on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. The fretted notes sit between frets 2 and 5. Strings 3, 2 and 1 ring open.
- What chords work well with Am9?
- Am9 pairs naturally with the chords in the related section: a perfect fifth up or down, the relative major or minor, and anything sharing two notes with it.