Playing over guitar chords

[robbie1973]

When guitar calls for A9 and D9 in a song...am I best to simply stick with a the A and D maj scale? I am not sure how to walk over these.
The song is Imagine by Amy Grant...

Thanks

[MalcolmAmos]

A9 being R-3-(5)-b7-9. Fake chord I pulled up on this song indicated you could do it either way.

http://www.e-chords.com/chords/amy-grant/imagine

I ignore anything higher than the sevens, leaving those higher notes to the solo instruments. So as a mater of course I'd just use A and/or D major.

You'd be safe either way the other guys will take care of the 9th, so I'd let them.

[bassandbeyond]

I don't know that song, but for the progression A9 to D9 I would probably play A mixolydian to D mixolydian, not A major nor D major. Mixolydian is just like the major scale, but with a flat 7th to match those dominant chords. There are other possible scale options, but that would be my default choice.

[bassandbeyond]

Clarification: it could be stated that A mixolydian = D major scale, which is technically true. But when improvising over those chords, I'd be thinking this way.

A9: A mixolydian
D9: D mixolydian.

[JohnTV]

I'm not entirely sure about this, but adding in a 2nd note to a 1-3-5 may do the trick, simply because it's also the ninth note of the scale.

[FretlessMainly]

Put another way, play A7 and D7, don't worry about A9 and D9 (these are simply the same as A7 and D7 with the 9th added on top) - and certainly not A Major and D Major. If you approach chords by key as opposed to chord function, you could think of A7 and D7 being D Major then G Major.