Chord · A Minor 9th
Am9 Chord
Am9 is A, C, E, G and B — smooth, sophisticated; neo-soul staple.
Am9 on every instrument
The same 5 notes, 3 sets of hands. Open a diagram for alternate shapes, audio and the mistakes to avoid.
What Am9 is made of
Am9 (A minor ninth) is built from the notes A, C, E, G, B, with the interval pattern 1, b3, 5, b7, 9.
Stack 1, b3, 5, b7 and 9 on a root of A and you get A, C, E, G and B. That interval recipe is what makes the chord a minor ninth chord — move the same shape to another root and the character travels with it, which is why Cm9 sounds like a transposed Am9.
Minor 9th: Smooth, sophisticated; neo-soul staple.
Spelling: the notes above are written the way a score would write them, not simplified to the nearest piano key. Every tone here lands on its own letter — no accidentals needed.
Keys that contain Am9
All 5 notes sit inside the scale of 4 keys. The roman numeral marks the degree the chord is rooted on.
Other chords on A
Same root, different colour.
The same minor ninth shape, moved
The identical interval recipe, built on other roots.
Questions people ask about Am9
- What notes are in the Am9 chord?
- Am9 is made of A, C, E, G and B — the 1, b3, 5, b7 and 9 degrees of a minor ninth chord built on A.
- What keys use the Am9 chord?
- Every note of Am9 belongs to 4 keys: C Major (vi), G Major (ii), A Minor (i), E Minor (iv). The roman numeral is the scale degree the chord is rooted on.
- How do you play Am9 on guitar and piano?
- This page shows Am9 on guitar, piano and ukulele — 7 voicings in total. Each diagram links to the full instrument page with alternate shapes, audio and common mistakes.
Learn the theory behind it
Why Am9 behaves the way it does — the guides that explain the chord instead of just spelling it.