Am(add9) “Mysto” Guitar Chord

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Here is a cool way to play an Am(add9) chord. I call it a “mysto chord”, which I will talk about more in just a second.

But first, if you were to play a basic Am chord, and just let go of your 1st finger…that would be what’s called an Asus2 chord.

Now that’s a cool guitar chord itself, but it’s missing what’s called the 3rd of the chord. That just means that it’s missing the note that would make this chord have a minor sound. That note was the one you play with your first finger on the 2nd string 1st fret of the A minor chord.

Now you could just alternate between playing a basic Am chord and this Asus2 chord…and that would have the effect of giving you both the C note (2nd string, 1st fret) and the added B (2nd string open).

But if you wanted the C note and the B to be in the same chord, here is an interesting way to do it. It’s called an Am(add9) chord.

When picking the notes individually from the low string(6th) to high(1st), the notes don’t sound in order from lowest to highest pitch, they are mixed up. The note on the 2nd string is lower in pitch than the one on the 3rd string. This combination creates a “mysterious” sound.

If you want to get away from just playing a basic Am chord, give this Am(add9) chord a try. It can really be used as a substitute for an Am chord in a lot of situations. One place that you will find this chord out in the real world is in the interlude to the song “Dust in the Wind” by Kansas.