A minor ninth (Am9) chord on banjo

The A minor ninth chord (Am9) is a minor ninth chord (a minor seventh plus a major ninth), made of five notes: A – C – E – G – B.

Dots show:

Basic shapeeasy

Position 9easy

Position 7medium

Tap a string on a diagram to hear just that string. The sound is generated in your browser with a physical string model.

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What the Am9 chord sounds like

A minor ninth is a minor seventh with an added major ninth: soft and warm, typical of R&B and neo-soul.

Notes of the Am9 chord

Degree	Note	Interval from the root
1	A	root
3	C	minor third (3 semitones)
5	E	perfect fifth (7 semitones) – often omitted on fretted instruments
7	G	minor seventh (10 semitones)
9	B	major second (2 semitones)

How to play it – with fingering

Basic shape

String 1 (D): fret 5, middle finger (G4)
String 2 (B): open (B3)
String 3 (G): fret 5, index finger (C4)
String 4 (D): fret 7, ring finger (A3)

Position 9

String 1 (D): fret 10, ring finger (C5)
String 2 (B): fret 10, middle finger (A4)
String 3 (G): open (G3)
String 4 (D): fret 9, index finger (B3)

Position 7

String 1 (D): fret 10, little finger (C5)
String 2 (B): open (B3)
String 3 (G): open (G3)
String 4 (D): fret 7, index finger (A3)

Five-string banjo in open G tuning (g D G B D). The diagram shows the four long strings; the short 5th string (g) rings open – avoid it when G is not in the chord. In the diagram, × means the string is not played, and a circle means an open string.

Which keys is it in?

The Am9 chord is built from the notes of these keys (for minor keys, both the natural and the harmonic minor are considered):

A minor: i9 (tonic)
E minor: iv9 (subdominant)
C major: vi9
G major: ii9

Similar chords and substitutes

If Am9 is too hard, or you want a different colour in the same spot, these chords are worth a try.

Substitutes (by function)

C – relative major: two shared notes
F – the major chord a major third below: two shared notes
Am7 – a fuller, softer minor colour

Simpler versions

Am7 – all 4 of its notes are in this chord
Am – all 3 of its notes are in this chord
Asus2 – all 3 of its notes are in this chord

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the Am9 chord?

A, C, E, G, B. The root is A; the intervals of the other notes from the root: minor third, perfect fifth, minor seventh, major second.

What is the easiest way to play Am9 on banjo?

The easiest shape above is “Basic shape”, rated easy. We show 3 shapes, from open and easy versions to movable barre shapes higher up the neck.

How do I read the chord diagram?

Strings run from the lowest (left) to the highest (right) – tick “Left-handed” to mirror it. Rows are frets; a number at the side shows the starting fret. Dots are fingers (1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring, 4 little), a long bar is a barre, × means don't play that string and ○ means play it open.

Why is a note missing from some Am9 shapes?

On a fretted instrument you can't always play every note of a 5-note chord. The fifth (E) may be dropped – the chord keeps its character without it.

How is the Am9 chord written?

The chord symbol is Am9, and its full name is A minor ninth.