Piano chord
Amaj9A major ninth
- A1
- C♯3
- E5
- G♯7
- B9
- Notes
- 5
- Positions
- 4
- Span
- 14semitones
- Fingers
- 5 + 1-3-5
How to play Amaj9 on piano
- Find A: it is the root and the lowest note of the chord in root position.
- Left hand: play A with the little finger (5), an octave below the right hand.
- Right hand: 1 on C♯, 3 on G♯, 5 on B.
- Leave out E: the chord is still recognisable without it, and the hand stays relaxed.
- Press the keys together, with curved fingers and a loose wrist, and let them ring.
Root position · A – C♯ – E – G♯ – B
1st inversion · C♯ – E – G♯ – B – A
2nd inversion · E – G♯ – B – A – C♯
3rd inversion · G♯ – B – A – C♯ – E
This chord has more notes than one hand holds comfortably; see the two-hand voicing below.
Amaj9 inversions
Use these 4 positions to move between chords with as little hand movement as possible. Root position starts on A; the inversions start on the other notes of the chord.
- Root positionbass: AA – C♯ – E – G♯ – B
- 1st inversionbass: C♯C♯ – E – G♯ – B – A
- 2nd inversionbass: EE – G♯ – B – A – C♯
- 3rd inversionbass: G♯G♯ – B – A – C♯ – E
Amaj9 with two hands
A practical voicing: the left hand plays A, the right hand plays the colour notes C♯–G♯–B. Notes that can be left out are left out.
Amaj9 on other instruments
About the Amaj9 chord
To build A major ninth, take these 5 notes from the root up: A (1), C♯ (3), E (5), G♯ (7), B (9). A major ninth: a major seventh with the ninth. One of the most colourful major chords, used in jazz and modern pop.
The keys are A – C♯ – E – G♯ – B, counted up from A; the distance from the lowest to the highest key is 14 semitones. Few hands reach that far, so share Amaj9 between both hands, with A in the left.
In the inversions of Amaj9 the root moves up and another note takes the bass. In the 1st inversion the bass is C♯ (C♯–E–G♯–B–A). In the 2nd inversion the bass is E (E–G♯–B–A–C♯). In the 3rd inversion the bass is G♯ (G♯–B–A–C♯–E).
Compared with Amaj7, Amaj9 has one more note, B.
Questions
What notes are in the Amaj9 chord?
Amaj9 (A major ninth) has 5 notes: A (1), C♯ (3), E (5), G♯ (7), B (9).
How many inversions does Amaj9 have?
Amaj9 can be played in 4 positions: Root position (A–C♯–E–G♯–B); 1st inversion (C♯–E–G♯–B–A); 2nd inversion (E–G♯–B–A–C♯); 3rd inversion (G♯–B–A–C♯–E).
What is the difference between Amaj9 and Amaj7?
Compared with Amaj7, Amaj9 has one more note, B.
Can I play Amaj9 with one hand?
In root position Amaj9 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.