A69

A69 is A, C#, E, F# and B, a six-nine. The shape this page opens on is written x22222, lowest string first.

Also written A6/9, A6add9 or A six nine. The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 8 common shapes for A69 on the guitar, and 42 derived voicings in 5 families.

In which keys. Every note of A69 belongs to C# minor (the ♭VI), D major (the V), E major (the IV), F# minor (the ♭III), A major (the I) and B minor (the ♭VII).

The common shapes, written lowest string first: x22222, x04422, 544455, xx7677, x77677, x-9-9-9-10-9, x-12-9-11-10-9, x-12-11-11-12-12.

Shell. Root, third and seventh: the guide tones fix the quality, so the fifth is dropped. That is what leaves a string free, so pick a tension to put on top. A69 has 5444xx, xx7677, x-12-11-11-12-x.

Drop 2. A close-position chord with the second voice from the top lowered an octave. Sits on four adjacent strings. A69 has x2422x, 5444xx, xx7677, x-x-9-11-10-9, x-12-11-11-12-x, xx4425, x4747x, 7976xx.

Drop 3. The third voice from the top lowered an octave. The dropped voice becomes the bass, which is why a string is skipped. A69 has x2x222, 5x442x, x4x475, 7x767x, x-9-x-6-10-7, x-12-x-11-12-9, 9-x-9-11-10-x, 14-x-11-14-12-x.

Rootless. The root left to the bass player. Frees a finger for a tension. A69 has xx2422, x4445x, xx9979, x-x-11-11-12-12, x4x452, xx4657, x7x677, x7967x.

Open string. An open string left ringing against a fretted grip. Because it costs no finger, it sounds a note the closed shape has none left for -- a tension on top, or a pedal root underneath. Either a familiar grip with open strings added, or a shape so sparse the open strings carry the chord. These belong to their key rather than to a shape, so D, A, G and E have many and Eb a handful. A69 has 544400, x02422, 5x4420, 007677, 02422x, x24220.

Tensions. A shell of A69, root, third and seventh, leaves a string free, and the tones that belong over it are the #11 (D#).

The common shapes and the derived voicings come from different places, and both are explained in where the chords and the theory come from.