A major ninth (Amaj9) chord on piano

Major ninth chord (a major seventh chord plus a major ninth) on A: the notes of the Amaj9 chord are A – C♯ – E – G♯ – B.

Full chord: A3 – C♯4 – E4 – G♯4 – B4

Chord finder Transposer

What the Amaj9 chord sounds like

A major ninth is a major seventh chord with an added ninth: spacious, floating and very jazzy as a tonic.

Notes of the Amaj9 chord

Degree	Note	Interval from the root
1	A	root
3	C♯	major third (4 semitones)
5	E	perfect fifth (7 semitones)
7	G♯	major seventh (11 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 – C♯4 – E4 – G♯4 – B4

Two-hand voicing

A2 – C♯4 – G♯4 – B4 – E5

Which keys is it in?

The Amaj9 chord is built from the notes of these keys (for minor keys, both the natural and the harmonic minor are considered):

A major: Imaj9 (tonic)
E major: IVmaj9 (subdominant)
F♯ minor: IIImaj9
C♯ minor: VImaj9

Similar chords and substitutes

If Amaj9 is too hard, or you want a different colour in the same spot, these chords are worth a try.

Substitutes (by function)

F♯m7 – relative minor seventh: three shared notes
C♯m7 – mediant minor seventh: three shared notes
A6 – another tonic colour, more vintage and swingy

Simpler versions

Amaj7 – all 4 of its notes are in this chord
Aadd9 – all 4 of its notes are in this chord
A – 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 Amaj9 chord?

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

How do I play the Amaj9 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 Amaj9 chord written?

The chord symbol is Amaj9, and its full name is A major ninth.