Piano chord
Am(add9)A minor added ninth
- A1
- C♭3
- E5
- B9
- Notes
- 4
- Positions
- 4
- Span
- 14semitones
- Fingers
- 1-2-3-5
How to play Am(add9) on piano
- Find A: it is the root and the lowest note of the chord in root position.
- Right hand: 1 on A, 2 on C, 3 on E, 5 on B.
- Or with the left hand: 5 on A, 4 on C, 3 on E, 1 on B.
- Press the keys together, with curved fingers and a loose wrist, and let them ring.
Root position · A – C – E – B
1st inversion · C – E – B – A
2nd inversion · E – B – A – C
3rd inversion · B – A – C – E
Numbers on the keys are fingers: 1 thumb, 2 index, 3 middle, 4 ring, 5 little finger.
Am(add9) inversions
Am(add9) can be played in 4 positions. In root position A is at the bottom; each inversion moves the lowest note up an octave, so another chord tone becomes the bass.
- Root positionbass: ARight hand 1-2-3-5 · Left hand 5-4-3-1
- 1st inversionbass: CRight hand 1-2-3-5 · Left hand 5-4-3-1
- 2nd inversionbass: ERight hand 1-2-4-5 · Left hand 5-4-2-1
- 3rd inversionbass: BRight hand 1-3-4-5 · Left hand 5-3-2-1
Am(add9) with two hands
A full sound: the left hand plays A an octave lower, the right hand plays A–C–E–B.
Am(add9) on other instruments
About the Am(add9) chord
A minor added ninth has 4 notes: A (1), C (♭3), E (5), B (9). A minor added ninth: a minor triad plus the ninth. Wistful and modern, a common substitute for the plain minor chord.
Put your thumb on A and count up: A – C – E – B. The whole chord spans 14 semitones from bottom to top. That is wider than an octave, so most pianists split Am(add9): A in the left hand, the upper notes in the right.
The inversions of Am(add9) keep the same notes in a new order. In the 1st inversion the bass is C (C–E–B–A). In the 2nd inversion the bass is E (E–B–A–C). In the 3rd inversion the bass is B (B–A–C–E).
Am(add9) is Am with one note added: B.
Questions
What notes are in the Am(add9) chord?
Am(add9) (A minor added ninth) has 4 notes: A (1), C (♭3), E (5), B (9).
How many inversions does Am(add9) have?
Am(add9) can be played in 4 positions: Root position (A–C–E–B); 1st inversion (C–E–B–A); 2nd inversion (E–B–A–C); 3rd inversion (B–A–C–E).
What is the difference between Am(add9) and Am?
Am(add9) is Am with one note added: B.
Can I play Am(add9) with one hand?
In root position Am(add9) spans 14 semitones, more than an octave. Play the root with the left hand and the upper notes with the right, or leave out the fifth.