Am(add9) is A minor with one note of air on top. It keeps C, the note that makes the chord sad, and adds B, the ninth. The result is still clearly minor, but more open and fragile, the kind of chord that sounds best picked one string at a time. The open shape asks for a stretch, so this page shows how to get there from the Am you already know.
Am(add9) chord: notes and shapes at a glance
- Name: A minor add nine
- Symbol: Am(add9)
- Notes: A, C, E, B
Each shape below is written from the thickest string to the thinnest: a
number is the fret, 0 an open string, x a string you
do not play. New to this? See how to read chord diagrams.
| Shape | Frets, low E to high E | Notes, low to high | What it is for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Am(add9), open | x02410 | A E B C E | The open A minor with the third finger replaced by the fourth at fret 4. B joins A, C and E. |
| Am(add9), fifth fret | xx7557 | A C E B | Four strings, no open notes. A on the D string, B on top: the ninth becomes the melody note. |
| Am(add9), tenth fret | x x 10 9 10 7 | C E A B | First finger on the high E at fret 7, second on the G string at 9, third and fourth on the D and B strings at 10. C is the lowest note, so let a bass or another guitar hold the A. |
Read each diagram from the thickest string on the left to the thinnest on the right. A cross means the string is not played, a circle means it rings open.
Am(add9) on the neck: every A, C, E, B
Standard tuning, frets 0 to 12. The highlighted notes are the notes of Am(add9): any shape you build from them, anywhere on the neck, is still Am(add9).
From Am to Am(add9)
Start from A minor (x02210). Keep the second finger on the D string at fret 2 and the first finger on the B string at fret 1. Lift the third finger off the G string and put the fourth finger on the same string at fret 4. That note is B.
| String | Fret | Note | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| A (5th) | 0 | A | Root |
| D (4th) | 2 | E | Fifth |
| G (3rd) | 4 | B | Ninth |
| B (2nd) | 1 | C | Minor third |
| High E (1st) | 0 | E | Fifth |
Once the open shape is comfortable, try the ringing version x07500: third finger on the D string at fret 7 (A), first finger on the G
string at fret 5 (C), and the B and high E strings open. Same four notes,
with B and E chiming against each other. It is too spread out to draw in a
four fret diagram, but it is one of the most beautiful ways to play this
chord.
Am(add9), Asus2, Aadd9 and Am9
Four names that get mixed up. The notes settle it.
| Chord | Notes | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Am(add9) | A, C, E, B | Minor, with the ninth added |
| Asus2 | A, B, E | No third at all: B replaces C |
| Aadd9 | A, C#, E, B | The major version: C# instead of C |
| Am9 | A, C, E, G, B | Adds the seventh too, so it is denser |
Compare them by ear on the Asus2 and Aadd9 pages. The plain triad is on the A minor chord page.
Where to use it
Songs rarely write Am(add9) on the chart. It is a color you choose. Find a song with a long A minor, play Am for a bar, then Am(add9) for a bar, and keep the version that sits better under the melody. Three short loops to try it in:
- Am(add9), F, C, G
- Am(add9), Dm, F, E
- Am, Am(add9), Am: the ninth appears and disappears over one bass
Pick them rather than strum them, at least at first. In an arpeggio the B has room to ring; in a hard strum it blends into the rest and you lose what you added. The F, Dm and E pages cover the chords around it.
Frequently asked questions
How do you play Am add9 on guitar?
What notes are in Am(add9)?
What is the difference between Am(add9) and Asus2?
Is Amadd9 the same as Am9?
Why is x02410 hard to play?
Who made this
Guitar Social Club is the work of Yohann Abbou, a guitar teacher in Paris who teaches adults. Every shape on this page is written string by string and checked against standard tuning, and the diagrams are drawn from those same fret numbers. The rest of our free guitar tools, including the chord finder, work the same way.
More about Yohann on his page, and about why Guitar Social Club exists.