Am9 Guitar Chord | Play, Hear and Practice Interactively
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Am9 (A minor ninth) takes A, C, E, G and B, so it is Am7 with a ninth added. Ten voicings are listed, seven of them using open strings and three using a barre.
The C, E, G and B above the root form a Cmaj7 chord. That relationship is worth knowing in jazz progressions with minor chords, where a minor ninth can take the place of a plain minor seventh. The A minor scale contains all five notes.
Strum Am9 in front of the microphone and the player at the top tells you which strings are ringing.
A minor 9th guitar chord is also written as Am9, Amin9 or A-9.
Notes that compose the A m9 chord:
Chord Formula:
Formula: 1 b3 5 b7 9
A M9 Guitar Chord Diagrams
Position 1 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 1 of the B string
- Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 2 of the D string
- Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 3 of the high E string
- Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 4 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, G and B strings at the same time
- Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 7 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 10 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 12 of the B string
Position 4 Movable
Finger Positions
- Mute the low E string
- Mute the A string
- Place your index finger (1) on the fret 5 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 7 of the high E string
- Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 8 of the B string
Position 5 Movable
Finger Positions
- Mute the low E string
- Mute the high E string
- Place your index finger (1) on the fret 10 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 12 of the B string
Position 6 Open
Finger Positions
- Mute the low E string
- Let the A string play without pressing any fret
- Let the B string play without pressing any fret
- Let the high E string play without pressing any fret
- Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 5 of the D string
- Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 5 of the G string
Position 7 Open
Finger Positions
- Mute the low E string
- Let the A string play without pressing any fret
- Let the G string play without pressing any fret
- Let the B string play without pressing any fret
- Let the high E string play without pressing any fret
- Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 2 of the D string
Position 8 Open
Finger Positions
- Let the G string play without pressing any fret
- Let the B string play without pressing any fret
- Mute the high E string
- Place your index finger (1) on the fret 2 of the D string
- Place your middle finger (2) on the fret 3 of the A string
- Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 5 of the low E string
Position 9 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 G strings at the same time
- Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 7 of the high E string
- Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 8 of the B string
Position 10 Barre Movable
Finger Positions
- Place your index finger (1) on the fret 5 of the low E, D, G and B strings at the same time
- Place your ring finger (3) on the fret 7 of the A string
- Place your pinky finger (4) on the fret 7 of the high E string
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FAQ
What are the notes of Am9?
Am9 is A, C, E, G and B. It uses only natural notes, with B as the ninth.
What is the difference between Am9 and Am7?
Am7 has A, C, E and G. Am9 adds B, the ninth, so it has five notes and a more spacious sound.
Which scale fits Am9?
A Dorian fits (A, B, C, D, E, F#, G), and so does A natural minor, since both contain A, B, C, E and G.
How many ways are there to play Am9?
The fingering data lists 10 voicings from the 1st to the 12th fret. Seven use open strings and three are barre voicings.
What does the 9 in Am9 stand for?
It is the note B, two semitones up from A once an octave has been added. In chord names a 9 also implies that the minor seventh G is present.