A♭ major ninth (A♭maj9) chord on banjo

Looking for the A♭maj9 chord on banjo? It is a major ninth chord (a major seventh chord plus a major ninth), made of five notes: A♭ – C – E♭ – G – B♭. The same chord with a different spelling: G♯ major ninth (G♯maj9).

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Basic shapemedium

Position 8easy

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What the A♭maj9 chord sounds like

A major ninth is a major seventh chord with an added ninth: spacious, floating and very jazzy as a tonic.

Notes of the A♭maj9 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
7	G	major seventh (11 semitones)
9	B♭	major second (2 semitones)

How to play it – with fingering

Basic shape

String 1 (D): fret 8, little finger (B♭4)
String 2 (B): fret 8, little finger (G4)
String 3 (G): fret 5, index finger (C4)
String 4 (D): fret 6, middle finger (A♭3)

Position 8

String 1 (D): fret 10, ring finger (C5)
String 2 (B): fret 9, middle finger (A♭4)
String 3 (G): open (G3)
String 4 (D): fret 8, index finger (B♭3)

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♭maj9 chord is built from the notes of these keys (for minor keys, both the natural and the harmonic minor are considered):

A♭ major: Imaj9 (tonic)
E♭ major: IVmaj9 (subdominant)
F minor: IIImaj9
C minor: VImaj9

Similar chords and substitutes

If A♭maj9 is too hard, or you want a different colour in the same spot, these chords are worth a try.

Substitutes (by function)

Fm7 – relative minor seventh: three shared notes
Cm7 – mediant minor seventh: three shared notes
A♭6 – another tonic colour, more vintage and swingy

Simpler versions

A♭maj7 – all 4 of its notes are in this chord
A♭add9 – all 4 of its notes are in this chord
A♭ – all 3 of its notes are in this chord
A♭sus2 – all 3 of its notes are in this chord

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the A♭maj9 chord?

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

What is the easiest way to play A♭maj9 on banjo?

The easiest shape above is “Position 8”, rated easy. We show 2 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♭maj9 shapes?

On a fretted instrument you can't always play every note of a 5-note chord. The fifth (E♭) may be dropped – the chord keeps its character without it.

How is the A♭maj9 chord written?

The chord symbol is A♭maj9 (also written Abmaj9), and its full name is A♭ major ninth.