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A major 9th chord on guitar (Amaj9)
Also called or written Amaj9 or A
A major 9th contains A, C♯, E, G♯, and B. The 4th-fret barre demands clean fretting across all six strings.
How it is built
Formula 1, 3, 5, 7, 9
- Root positionA–C♯–E–G♯–BAmaj95-4-6-4-5-4
- First inversionC♯–E–G♯–B–AAmaj9/C♯×-4-6-4-5-5
- Second inversionE–G♯–B–A–C♯Amaj9/Eno shape on this instrument
- Third inversionG♯–B–A–C♯–EAmaj9/G♯4-2-2-2-2-4
- Fourth inversionB–A–C♯–E–G♯Amaj9/B×-2-2-2-2-4
How do you play an A major 9th chord on guitar?
A major 9th is played at the 4th fret as 5 4 6 4 5 4: barre your index finger across fret 4, middle finger on the low E string at fret 5, pinky finger on the D string at fret 6 and ring finger on the B string at fret 5.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 5 | 2 | A (1) |
| 5 (A) | 4 | 1 (barre) | C♯ (3) |
| 4 (D) | 6 | 4 | G♯ (7) |
| 3 (G) | 4 | 1 (barre) | B (2) |
| 2 (B) | 5 | 3 | E (5) |
| 1 (e) | 4 | 1 (barre) | G♯ (7) |
AdvancedThe index barre must fret the A, G, and high e strings cleanly while the pinky reaches fret 6 on the D string.
Amaj9/C♯ inversion · fret 4
A major 9th is played at the 4th fret as × 4 6 4 5 5: barre your index finger across fret 4, pinky finger on the D string at fret 6, middle finger on the B string at fret 5 and ring finger on the high e string at fret 5. The low E string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 4 | 1 (barre) | C♯ (3) |
| 4 (D) | 6 | 4 | G♯ (7) |
| 3 (G) | 4 | 1 (barre) | B (2) |
| 2 (B) | 5 | 2 | E (5) |
| 1 (e) | 5 | 3 | A (1) |
Amaj9/C♯ inversion · fret 7
A major 9th is played at the 7th fret as 9 7 7 9 9 7: barre your index finger across fret 7, middle finger on the low E string at fret 9, ring finger on the G string at fret 9 and pinky finger on the B string at fret 9.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 9 | 2 | C♯ (3) |
| 5 (A) | 7 | 1 (barre) | E (5) |
| 4 (D) | 7 | 1 (barre) | A (1) |
| 3 (G) | 9 | 3 | E (5) |
| 2 (B) | 9 | 4 | G♯ (7) |
| 1 (e) | 7 | 1 (barre) | B (2) |
Amaj9/C♯ inversion · fret 9
A major 9th is played at the 9th fret as 9 11 9 9 10 9: barre your index finger across fret 9, pinky finger on the A string at fret 11 and ring finger on the B string at fret 10.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 9 | 1 (barre) | C♯ (3) |
| 5 (A) | 11 | 4 | G♯ (7) |
| 4 (D) | 9 | 1 (barre) | B (2) |
| 3 (G) | 9 | 1 (barre) | E (5) |
| 2 (B) | 10 | 3 | A (1) |
| 1 (e) | 9 | 1 (barre) | C♯ (3) |
Amaj9/G♯ inversion
A major 9th is played at the 2nd fret as 4 2 2 2 2 4: barre your index finger across fret 2, ring finger on the low E string at fret 4 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 4.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 4 | 3 | G♯ (7) |
| 5 (A) | 2 | 1 (barre) | B (2) |
| 4 (D) | 2 | 1 (barre) | E (5) |
| 3 (G) | 2 | 1 (barre) | A (1) |
| 2 (B) | 2 | 1 (barre) | C♯ (3) |
| 1 (e) | 4 | 4 | G♯ (7) |
Why it sounds like that
A major 9th is built from the 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9 of the A major scale. The major 7th G♯ and the 9th B give it a luminous, extended quality. Compare it to A major 7th, which omits the 9th.
What goes wrong with A major 9th?
- Letting the barre lift off the G string, which deadens the 5th.
- Allowing the pinky to touch the 3rd string, muffling the 9th.
- Strumming the low E too hard, overpowering the root on the A string.
When to use it
A major 9th works as the I chord in A major, especially in progressions like A–D–E–A (I–IV–V–I). Its lush sound suits jazz, neo-soul, and R&B ballads. It also fits over A major and A major 7th.
Changing to and from A major 9th
- Move to <a href="/guitar/g-major-9-chord">G major 9th</a> by sliding the shape down two frets to the 2nd fret.
- Shift to <a href="/guitar/b-major-9-chord">B major 9th</a> by sliding the shape up two frets to the 6th fret.
Which voicing to use
The 4th-fret voicing keeps A in the bass for a grounded, root-position sound. The Amaj9/C♯ inversions put the third in the bass, creating a brighter, less settled feel. The Amaj9/G♯ inversion places the leading tone in the bass, adding tension that resolves strongly to A.
Other A chords
Common questions
How is A major 9th written?
A major 9th is written A or Amaj9. No enharmonic spelling is used.
What is the difference between A major 9th and A add 9?
A major 9th includes the major 7th G♯ along with the 9th B. A add 9 omits the 7th, giving a less dense sound.
Why does the 4th-fret shape use a barre?
The barre on the 4th fret covers the A, G, and high e strings, which are all chord tones. It allows the other fingers to reach the 5th and 6th frets.