A♭ add9 (A♭add9) chord on banjo

Looking for the A♭add9 chord on banjo? It is an add9 chord (a major triad plus a major ninth, no seventh), made of four notes: A♭ – C – E♭ – B♭. The same chord with a different spelling: G♯ add9 (G♯add9).

Dots show:

Basic shapeeasy

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What the A♭add9 chord sounds like

An add9 chord is a major triad with an added ninth and no seventh. It sounds bright and shimmering – a favourite colour in acoustic pop.

Notes of the A♭add9 chord

Degree	Note	Interval from the root
1	A♭	root
3	C	major third (4 semitones)
5	E♭	perfect fifth (7 semitones) – often omitted on fretted instruments
9	B♭	major second (2 semitones)

How to play it – with fingering

Basic shape, barre at fret 8

String 1 (D): fret 10, ring finger (C5)
String 2 (B): fret 9, middle finger (A♭4)
String 3 (G): fret 8, index finger (E♭4)
String 4 (D): fret 8, index finger (B♭3)

For the barre, lay your index finger flat across all the marked strings at fret 8; your other fingers press the higher frets.

Five-string banjo in open G tuning (g D G B D). The diagram shows the four long strings; the short 5th string (g) rings open – avoid it when G is not in the chord. In the diagram, × means the string is not played, and a circle means an open string.

Which keys is it in?

The A♭add9 chord is built from the notes of these keys (for minor keys, both the natural and the harmonic minor are considered):

A♭ major: Iadd9 (tonic)
D♭ major: Vadd9 (dominant)
E♭ major: IVadd9 (subdominant)
B♭ minor: VIIadd9
F minor: IIIadd9
C minor: VIadd9

Similar chords and substitutes

If A♭add9 is too hard, or you want a different colour in the same spot, these chords are worth a try.

Substitutes (by function)

Fm – relative minor: two shared notes, a common stand-in for the tonic
Cm – mediant minor (iii): two shared notes
A♭maj7 – a softer, jazzier tonic colour
A♭sus4 – suspended version that resolves back to this chord

Simpler versions

A♭ – all 3 of its notes are in this chord
A♭sus2 – all 3 of its notes are in this chord

Richer versions

A♭9 – the same chord plus 1 colour note
A♭maj9 – the same chord plus 1 colour note
A♭11 – the same chord plus 2 colour notes
A♭13 – the same chord plus 2 colour notes

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the A♭add9 chord?

A♭, C, E♭, B♭. The root is A♭; the intervals of the other notes from the root: major third, perfect fifth, major second.

What is the easiest way to play A♭add9 on banjo?

The easiest shape above is “Basic shape”, rated easy. We show 1 shapes, from open and easy versions to movable barre shapes higher up the neck.

How do I read the chord diagram?

Strings run from the lowest (left) to the highest (right) – tick “Left-handed” to mirror it. Rows are frets; a number at the side shows the starting fret. Dots are fingers (1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring, 4 little), a long bar is a barre, × means don't play that string and ○ means play it open.

Why is a note missing from some A♭add9 shapes?

On a fretted instrument you can't always play every note of a 4-note chord. The fifth (E♭) may be dropped – the chord keeps its character without it.

How is the A♭add9 chord written?

The chord symbol is A♭add9 (also written Abadd9), and its full name is A♭ add9.