Which notes are in the A7♯9 chord?

A7♯9 contains the notes A, C#, E, G and C. Relative to the root these are the degrees 1 – 3 – 5 – ♭7 – ♯9.

How many ways can you play A7♯9?

Minory lists a single guitar fingering for A7♯9.

Is the A7♯9 chord hard to play?

A7♯9 requires a barre, so it can feel demanding at first. Keeping the index finger straight and pressing from the wrist rather than the thumb makes it noticeably easier.

A dominant 7th sharp 9 · Guitar

A7♯9 Chord on Guitar

The A7♯9 chord (A dominant 7th sharp 9) is built from the notes A, C#, E, G and C. The guitar fingering for it is shown below.

Chord diagrams

A7♯9starts at fret 6

Fingering

string 6 (E): muted
string 5 (A): muted
string 4 (D): fret 7 — middle finger
string 3 (G): fret 6 — index finger
string 2 (B): fret 8 — ring finger
string 1 (E): fret 8 — little finger

Notes in this chord

A
C♯
E
G
C

Degrees: 1 – 3 – 5 – ♭7 – ♯9

How to play

A7♯9 can be played with open strings on guitar, which makes it an accessible shape for beginners. Strings marked ○ ring open, while strings marked ✕ are muted.

Theory behind the chord

Often called the Hendrix chord, the 7♯9 stacks a sharpened ninth over a dominant seventh. Major and minor thirds sound at once, producing the gritty clash that defines psychedelic rock and funk. On A7♯9 this structure sits on the root A, so the degrees 1 – 3 – 5 – ♭7 – ♯9 map onto A, C#, E, G and C.

Frequently asked questions

Which notes are in the A7♯9 chord?: A7♯9 contains the notes A, C#, E, G and C. Relative to the root these are the degrees 1 – 3 – 5 – ♭7 – ♯9.
How many ways can you play A7♯9?: Minory lists a single guitar fingering for A7♯9.
Is the A7♯9 chord hard to play?: A7♯9 requires a barre, so it can feel demanding at first. Keeping the index finger straight and pressing from the wrist rather than the thumb makes it noticeably easier.

Practise A7♯9 on your phone

Minory bundles the full chord library with a tuner, metronome and repertoire notebook — and it all works offline.