Music Lesson: Introduction to Ninth Chords

Hello again! Right, so what we just did was seventh chords. Now, we will explore ninth chords. Having a good knowledge of chords is a nice way of comping along with other people or incorporating them into your lead playing.

Ninth Chords in A

E Root Ninth Chord

• Fifth fret on the E string
• Fourth fret on the A string
• Fifth fret on the D string
• Fourth fret on the G string
• Fifth fret on the B string

So, there's our ninth chord with an E root.

A Root Ninth Chord

Let's look at a ninth chord with an A root, played at the 12th fret:

• 12th fret on the A string
• 11th fret on the D string
• 12th fret on the G string
• 12th fret on the B string
• 12th fret on the E string

D Root Ninth Chord

Here's one with a D root:

• Seventh fret on the D string
• Sixth fret on the G string
• Eighth fret on the B string
• Seventh fret on the E string

So, there's another ninth chord.

Alternate E Root Ninth Chord

Finally, this one is an E root ninth chord. It's a bit of a weird one, but I quite like the different tonal flavor. Here it is:

• Third finger on the E string at the fifth fret
• Little finger on the D string at the fifth fret
• Second finger on the G string at the fourth fret
• First finger on the B string at the second fret

If you want to get really creative, you can add your first finger down for a nice 13th chord by including the E string.

Recap of Ninth Chords

Let's go through those again:

• A9 with E root
• A9 with A root
• A9 with D root
• Alternate E root chord

Compounding Ninth Chords

Now, let's look at putting those into a little compound. You can transfer this over to other chords as well, of course.

For the roots:

• E root chord
• A root chord
• D root chord
• Alternate with the 13th (if you want to get creative)

And the same for E:

• E9 starting from E
• E9 starting from A
• E9 starting from D
• Alternate E9 from E

I'll throw those over a 12-bar progression, and you can have a listen to what they sound like.

Conclusion

There you go! Enjoy practicing.