A7(#9) Guitar Chord | Play, Hear and Practice Interactively
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A seventh sharp nine is the full name of A7#9, a chord of five notes: A, C#, E, G and B#. Chords like this are often heard in blues and jazz.
Ten voicings in total, from fret 2 to fret 13, and seven of them are barre shapes. B# sounds like C; the unusual name comes from stacking thirds by letter name. The A Half-Whole scale, the eight-note scale built from alternating half steps and whole steps, lines up with A7#9, because it contains all five chord tones. Chords of this kind often turn up in jazz chord progressions.
Press play in the player at the top of the page to hear A7#9 strummed, then picked as an arpeggio.
A 7th with sharp 9th guitar chord is also written as A7(#9), A7#9 or A7+9. It is also known as the Hendrix chord.
A 7(#9) chord Notes:
How to create the Dominant Seventh Sharp Ninth Added chord:
Formula: 1 3 5 b7 #9
A 7(#9) Guitar Chord Diagrams
Position 1 Barre Open
Finger Positions
- Mute the low E string
- Let the A string play without pressing any fret
- Place your index finger (1) on the fret 2 of the D and B strings at the same time
- Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 3 of the high E string
- Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 5 of the G string
Position 2 Barre Open
Finger Positions
- Mute the low E string
- Let the A string play without pressing any fret
- Place your index finger (1) on the fret 5 of the D and B strings at the same time
- Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 6 of the G string
- Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 8 of the high E string
Position 3 Open
Finger Positions
- Mute the low E string
- Let the high E string play without pressing any fret
- Place your index finger (1) on the fret 11 of the D string
- Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 12 of the A string
- Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 12 of the G string
- Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 13 of the B string
Position 4 Barre Open
Finger Positions
- Mute the low E string
- Let the A string play without pressing any fret
- Place your index finger (1) on the fret 6 of the G string
- Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 7 of the D string
- Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 8 of the B and high E strings at the same time
Position 5 Barre Movable
Finger Positions
- Mute the low E string
- Place your index finger (1) on the fret 6 of the G string
- Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 7 of the A string
- Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 7 of the D string
- Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 8 of the B and high E strings at the same time
Position 6 Movable
Finger Positions
- Mute the low E string
- Mute the high E string
- Place your index finger (1) on the fret 11 of the D string
- Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 12 of the A string
- Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 12 of the G string
- Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 13 of the B string
Position 7 Movable
Finger Positions
- Mute the low E string
- Mute the A string
- Place your index finger (1) on the fret 6 of the G string
- Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 7 of the D string
- Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 8 of the B string
- Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 8 of the high E string
Position 8 Barre Movable
Finger Positions
- Place your index finger (1) on the fret 5 of the low E and D strings at the same time
- Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 6 of the G string
- Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 7 of the A string
- Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 8 of the B and high E strings at the same time
Position 9 Barre Movable
Finger Positions
- Mute the low E string
- Mute the A string
- Place your index finger (1) on the fret 5 of the D and B strings at the same time
- Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 6 of the G string
- Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 8 of the high E string
Position 10 Barre Movable
Finger Positions
- Mute the B string
- Mute the high E string
- Place your index finger (1) on the fret 4 of the A string
- Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 5 of the low E string
- Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 5 of the D and G strings at the same time
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Created by
Giancarlo is a musician (teaching guitar since 2000), software engineer, AI consultant and published researcher
FAQ
What notes make up A7#9?
A, C#, E, G and B#. The first four form an A seventh chord, and B# is the sharp ninth. It sounds like C natural.
Why is A7#9 spelled with B# and not C?
The third of the chord already uses the letter C, as C#. Writing the sharp ninth as C natural would repeat that letter, so it is named B#, a ninth raised by a half step.
What does the sharp nine add to the sound of A7#9?
B# sounds like C natural, a minor third from A, and it sits beside the major third C#. That mix of major and minor flavour is why the chord is often heard in blues and jazz.
Which scale fits A7#9?
The A Half-Whole scale, spelled A, Bb, B#, C#, D#, E, F# and G, contains all five chord tones. Its eight notes alternate half steps and whole steps.
How many voicings are listed for the A seventh sharp nine chord?
Ten voicings are listed, from the second fret to the thirteenth fret. Four of them use open strings, and seven are barre voicings.
