A minor ninth (Am9) chord on piano

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.

Full chord: A3 – C4 – E4 – G4 – B4

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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)
7	G	minor seventh (10 semitones)
9	B	major second (2 semitones)

Piano voicings

Chords with five or more notes are rarely played in one hand: the left hand takes the root, the right hand the colour notes. The fifth (and in an eleventh chord the third) is often left out.

Full chord

A3 – C4 – E4 – G4 – B4

Two-hand voicing

A2 – C4 – G4 – B4 – E5

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.

How do I play the Am9 chord on piano?

Play the root with your left hand and the colour notes (third, seventh, ninth) with your right hand – the two-hand voicing above. Stacking all 5 notes in one hand is possible but sounds crowded.

How is the Am9 chord written?

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