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Learn › Amaj9 Chord on Piano (A Major 9th)

New Released in April 2026

Amaj9 Chord on Piano (A Major 9th)

To play the Amaj9 chord on the piano, press A, C#, E, G# and B. It is the major seventh Amaj7 plus the 9th, B. Its sound: soft, dreamy and very open.

No account, no download. The demo has limited content. Advanced features are in ChordRunner Premium.

  • MIDI keyboard
  • Digital or acoustic piano
  • Guitar
  • Computer, phone or tablet
Amaj9 A C# E G# B

Where your hand goes for Amaj9

Each picture is still Amaj9. Move only the notes that must move.

Amaj9 A G# C# E B

Both hands: A G# C# E B

Amaj9 C# E G# B

Rootless, 3rd on the bottom: C# E G# B

Amaj9 G# B C# E

Rootless, 7th on the bottom: G# B C# E

Amaj9 A G#

Left hand alone: A G#

Hands and fingers

Left handA G#5 1
Right handC# E B1 2 4
C#m7 C# E G# B

The chord hiding inside Amaj9

Look at the four top notes of Amaj9: C# E G# B. They form C#m7. So Amaj9 is A in the bass with C#m7 on top, an easy way to find it fast.

C#m7

How Amaj9 is built

Formula 1 3 5 7 9. Count from A and every number is a step of the A major scale, and a b lowers it by one key.

Start chord: Amaj7

NoteStepIntervalKeys from A
A1root0
C#3major 3rd4
E5perfect 5th7
G#7major 7th11
B9major 9th14

Practise Amaj9 in four steps

  1. Find A, then add the other notes one at a time: A, C#, E, G# and B.
  2. Play Amaj7, then Amaj9, then Amaj7 again, and hear what the 9th adds to the major seventh.
  3. Try Amaj9 in a rootless shape with the 3rd on the bottom, the position that sits closest to your last chord.
  4. Last, meet Amaj9 mixed with chords you already know, in an order you did not plan.

Five minutes a day is enough to make Amaj9 feel easy.

Where Amaj9 is used

  • Amaj9 is the I chord of A major and the IV chord of E major.
  • It replaces Amaj7 when a song wants a softer, wider sound.

How Amaj9 differs from the chords around it

Same root A, different recipe. The formula column shows what moved.

ChordNotesFormula
Aadd9 A C# E B1 3 5 9
A9 A C# E G B1 3 5 b7 9
Amaj9 A C# E G# B1 3 5 7 9
Am9 A C E G B1 b3 5 b7 9
A7 A C# E G1 3 5 b7
Amaj7 A C# E G#1 3 5 7
Am7 A C E G1 b3 5 b7
ChordRunner game screen with a chord symbol to play

Play Amaj9 in a game

Chord symbols arrive one after another and the game checks every note you play, with MIDI or the microphone. Major and minor 9ths have their own level, "Ninth Chords".

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Common questions

What notes are in the Amaj9 chord?

Amaj9 has 5 notes: A, C#, E, G# and B. Formula 1 3 5 7 9.

What is the difference between Amaj9 and Amaj7?

Amaj7 is A C# E G#. To get Amaj9, add B above the major seventh.

Where is Amaj9 used?

Amaj9 is the I chord of A major and the IV chord of E major. It replaces Amaj7 when a song wants a softer, wider sound.

Can I practise Amaj9 with a MIDI keyboard or a real piano?

Yes. In ChordRunner a USB MIDI keyboard is detected automatically, and an acoustic or digital piano works through the microphone. The game checks that A, C#, E, G# and B sound together.

Your instrument is the controller.

ChordRunner is a browser game that teaches piano and guitar chords: a chord appears on screen, you play it on a real instrument, and your runner jumps. MIDI keyboard or microphone, both work.

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