Amaj9 Guitar Chord

Amaj9 guitar chord: see the fingering, compare positions, and hear it before you play.

Shape 1/2

Chord shapes:(2 positions)

Open

Arpeggio for this shape

P - i - m - a - m - i · Smooth Bossa (2/4 · 6 notes · Level 2)

From the bass on the 5th to the 1st string there are 4 different notes. Six plucks give time to hear them. All 6 arpeggios

Subtle syncopation and oscillating timbre.

Speed:

What sets Amaj9 apart

Play Amaj9 one string at a time and you hear A, C#, E, G# and B. A is the root, C# the major third, E the fifth, G# the major seventh and B the ninth. Said aloud, its notes are A, C sharp, E, G sharp and B.

String by string, low to high, it plays A, E, B, C# and G#. It runs from A on string 5 up to G# on string 1.

The main Amaj9 shape needs a barre at fret 2 across three strings. In Amaj9, only one string rings open, string 5, which gives A. Avoid string 6. Your hand covers three frets, from 2 to 4. There is one more position, starting at fret 2.

Change only string 1 in Amaj9 and you have Aadd9. Inside Amaj9 sits a complete E chord, made of E, G# and B. Moving to A, you keep one finger down.

Amaj9 shows up in four keys. In A major it is the Imaj9, in E major the IVmaj9 and in C# minor the VImaj9. The rest appear in the key list.

Chord Progressions

Explore recommended harmonic circles on CifraLab:

Recommended practice sequences

01A A - F#m - Bm - E7 02C#m C#m - A - F#m - G#7

Music Theory & Formula

Component notes and harmonic structure (Amaj9)

Formula: Major Seventh with Ninth (1 - 3 - 5 - 7 - 9)

Constituent chord intervals:

A 1C# 3E 5G# 7B 9

Root Bass (Fundamental String)5th String (A) • Fret 0 (A)

String Control (Muted & Active)5 / 6 • 1 X Muted

2 Fretboard Positions

Other fretboard positions for Amaj9:

Select each shape in the diagram above to view and listen to it

Open

Barre fret 2

5 / 6 stringsRoot: 5th String (A)

String Control (Muted & Active):

6th String (Low E)

×Muted

Do not play

Root

5th String (A)

○Open

ADegree 1

4th String (D)

Fret 2Barre

EDegree 5

3rd String (G)

Fret 4Finger 3

BDegree 9

2nd String (B)

Fret 2Barre

C#Degree 3

1st String (High E)

Fret 4Finger 4

G#Degree 7

Placement tip: Barre fret 2. Press: 3rd String (G) at fret 4 with your Ring finger, 1st String (High E) at fret 4 with your Pinky finger. Play open: 5th String (A). Don't play: 6th String (Low E).

Jazz shape

Barre fret 2

5 / 6 stringsRoot: 5th String (A)

String Control (Muted & Active):

6th String (Low E)

×Muted

Do not play

Root

5th String (A)

Fret 2Barre

BDegree 9

4th String (D)

Fret 2Barre

EDegree 5

3rd String (G)

Fret 2Barre

ADegree 1

2nd String (B)

Fret 2Barre

C#Degree 3

1st String (High E)

Fret 4Finger 3

G#Degree 7

Placement tip: Barre fret 2. Press: 1st String (High E) at fret 4 with your Ring finger. Don't play: 6th String (Low E).

Biomechanics & Posture

Ergonomic tips to play without tension or fatigue (Amaj9)

Barre

The shape in numbers

Item	In this chord
Frets	2 to 4
Barre	fret 2, from the 4th to the 2nd string
Fretting fingers	3
Open	5th
Muted	6th

What to check

At fret 2, only the barre sounds the 4th and 2nd strings.

What every chord shares is in the fingering reading.

Transitions & Pivot Fingers

Most common chord transitions from Amaj9

Listen: Amaj9 → A · Dbm · Bm

Amaj9
A
Amaj9
Dbm
Amaj9
Bm

Amaj9 → A01

Pivot / Anchor Finger:1 finger stays

Stay in place

finger 1: string 4, fret 2

Move

finger 2: string 3, fret 2
finger 3: string 2, fret 2

Amaj9 → Dbm02

Pivot / Anchor Finger:1 shared position

Stay in place

string 1, fret 4

Move

string 5, fret 4
string 4, fret 6
string 3, fret 6
string 2, fret 5

Amaj9 → Bm03

Pivot / Anchor Finger:1 shared position

Stay in place

string 3, fret 4

Move

string 5, fret 2
string 4, fret 4
string 2, fret 3
string 1, fret 2

Amaj9 in every key

Amaj9 sits in the scale of 4 keys.

Main shape at a glance

Difficulty: 3/5
Highest fret: 4
Frets the hand covers: 3
Barre: Yes
Strings that ring: 5/6
Fretting fingers: 3

Major keys

Minor keys

Amaj9 on other instruments

PianoThe same notes on the keyboard.All togetherHear guitar, piano, bass and violin together.

Frequently asked questions

Frequently asked questions about the chord (Amaj9)

The questions that come up most when playing this chord

Which strings are played and which are muted in the Amaj9 chord?

To play the Amaj9 chord on guitar, only 5 strings are played, from string 5 to string 1. Muted strings must be gently dampened with the fleshy side of a fretting finger to prevent dissonance.

What is the root bass note of the Amaj9 chord and on which string is it located?

The primary bass note of the Amaj9 chord is its root note: A. In standard guitar tuning (EADGBe), this bass note is located on string 5 at fret 0.

When strumming or fingerpicking, strike this string first.

What notes make up the Amaj9 chord and what is its formula?

The Amaj9 chord is constructed using the 1 - 3 - 5 - 7 - 9 formula (Major Seventh with Ninth). Its constituent pitches are A, C#, E, G#, B.

How do you prevent the Amaj9 chord from buzzing or sounding muted?

To prevent fret buzz on the Amaj9 barre chord, roll your index finger slightly outward (about 15 degrees) to press with its harder bony edge. Position your finger directly behind the fret wire and apply gentle arm pull from your back rather than squeezing with thumb force.

Study sheet · High resolution

Official Amaj9 chord diagram

Amaj9 guitar chord diagram with fingering for fingers 1 to 4

Download HD sheet

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Other chords in the A family:

Chord A Chord Ab Chord Am Chord A7 Chord Ab7 Chord Amaj7 Chord Abmaj7 Chord Am7