A 9sus4 (A9sus4)

1+4+5+b7+9
ADEGB
4 4
Download MIDI

Notes in A 9sus4

A (root)DEGB

Inversions

Same notes as A 9sus4, with a different chord tone as the lowest note. Useful for smoother movement between chords instead of jumping around the keyboard.

Root position

A in the bass

ADEGB

1st inversion

D in the bass

DEGBA

2nd inversion

E in the bass

EGBAD

3rd inversion

G in the bass

GBADE

4th inversion

B in the bass

BADEG

Open voicings

A close-position chord like A 9sus4 can sound cluttered in the middle of the keyboard. Jazz players open it up by dropping one note down an octave, spreading the same notes wider without changing the chord.

Drop 2

G on the bottom

GADEB

Drop 3

E on the bottom

EADGB

Press A, D, E, G and B together on the keyboard and you're playing A 9sus4.

A 7sus4 chord with a ninth added on top. The suspended fourth keeps the chord open and undecided between major and minor, while the ninth fills out the top end. Gospel and modern jazz piano lean on it for vamps that need movement without committing to either quality.

Difficulty: Intermediate. Category: Extended chords. Click any highlighted key on the diagram above, or tab to it and press Enter, to hear that single note. Inversions mark the bass note with a contrasting outline.