Chord chart

A9 Chord on Guitar: 3 Easy Ways to Play A Ninth (Charts)

A9 chord charts with finger numbers, an easier version, the notes and intervals, and the keys and progressions that use it. Also searched as a9 chord, a9 guitar chord and how to play A9.

By David Sandy, guitar player and founder of Sandy Music Lab. Every chord shape on this page is checked note by note against the chord's formula.

A9 chord diagram, Barre (5th fret, E-string root)A9 Barre (5th fret, E-string root): low E fret 5, A fret 7, D fret 5, G fret 6, B fret 5, high e fret 7.5fr13245 7 5 6 5 7
Barre (5th fret, E-string root)
5 7 5 6 5 7
A9 chord diagram, Easy 4-string versionA9 Easy 4-string version: low E muted, A muted, D fret 7, G fret 6, B fret 8, high e fret 7.6fr××2143x x 7 6 8 7
Easy 4-string version
x x 7 6 8 7
A9 chord diagram, Alternate open shape (2nd fret)A9 Alternate open shape (2nd fret): low E fret 5, A fret 2, D fret 2, G open, B fret 2, high e open.41235 2 2 0 2 0
Alternate open shape (2nd fret)
5 2 2 0 2 0

Numbers are fingers (1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring, 4 pinky, T thumb). × = don't play that string, ○ = play it open. A long bar is a barre: one finger flat across those strings. Strings run low E (left) to high e (right).

Chord chart by Sandy Music Lab

Quick answer: To play A9 (A ninth) on guitar, play 5 7 5 6 5 7 from the low E string to the high e string (the barre (5th fret, E-string root) shape). The chord contains A, C#, E, G, B. If that is hard, use the easier shape 5 2 2 0 2 0, which needs 4 fretted notes.

A9 chord facts

Chord A9 (A ninth)
Other names Adom9
Notes A, C#, E, G, B
Intervals A (root), C# (major 3rd), E (perfect 5th), G (minor 7th), B (major 9th)
Formula 1-3-5-b7-9
Difficulty Intermediate (barre or stretch)
Shapes on this page 3

How do you play A9 on guitar?

The main shape is 5 7 5 6 5 7 (Barre (5th fret, E-string root)). Finger by finger:

  1. Lay your index finger flat across the low E to high e strings at fret 5. This is the barre.
  2. Put your middle finger (2) on the G string at fret 6 (C#, the major 3rd).
  4. Put your ring finger (3) on the A string at fret 7 (E, the perfect 5th).
  5. Put your pinky (4) on the high e string at fret 7 (B, the major 9th).