As a modal tonicA♯ minor
A modal vamp - A♯m9 is home, and the loop never resolves away from it.
A♯m9 Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The A♯m9 chord is a minor ninth chord built on the root note A♯. Its notes are A♯, C♯, E♯, G♯ and B♯. It's enharmonically the same chord as B♭m9.
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
- A♯m9
A♯m9 on piano
5 notesView:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
To play A♯m9 on piano, place your right hand with your thumb on A♯, index finger on B♯, middle finger on C♯, ring finger on E♯ and little finger on G♯. Press the keys together and listen for an even sound. On the keyboard A♯, C♯ and G♯ are black keys and E♯ and B♯ are white, the keys you'd normally call F and C. The thumb starts on a black key, so slide the whole hand a little further in, towards the fallboard. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
- A♯1
- B♯9
- C♯♭3
- E♯5
- G♯♭7
A♯m9 on guitar
View:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, A♯m9 is commonly played with the voicing shown above. This one is a barre at fret 3: keep the index finger flat across the strings and curve the others so they don't mute the strings next to them.
A♯ · C♯ · E♯ · G♯ · B♯
Try A♯m9 on the virtual piano
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A♯m9 chord notes
Also known as B♭m9
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | A♯(A#) | |
| ♭3 | Minor third | 3 | C♯(C#) | |
| 5 | Perfect fifth | 7 | E♯(E#) | |
| ♭7 | Minor seventh | 10 | G♯(G#) | |
| 9 | Major ninth | 14 | B♯(B#) |
How to use the A♯m9 chord
The A♯m9 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 A♯m9 differs from similar chords
A♯m9 adds a major ninth to A♯m7, which sets it apart from a minor triad with only an added ninth and from A♯9, which has a major third. Its upper four notes form the major seventh chord a minor third above the root.
Where A♯m9 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 A♯m9 chord?
- The A♯m9 chord contains A♯, C♯, E♯, G♯ and B♯ (A#, C#, E#, G# and B# in plain text).
- Is the A♯m9 chord major or minor?
- A♯m9 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 A♯m9 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 A♯, C♯ and G♯ are black keys and E♯ and B♯ are white, the keys you'd normally call F and C. The thumb starts on a black key, so slide the whole hand a little further in, towards the fallboard.
- How do you play A♯m9 on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. This one is a barre at fret 3: keep the index finger flat across the strings and curve the others so they don't mute the strings next to them.
- What is another name for the A♯m9 chord?
- A♯m9 is enharmonically equivalent to B♭m9. Both chord names describe exactly the same notes, but the spelling depends on the key you are playing in.