A♭ add9 (A♭add9) chord on guitar

The A♭ add9 chord (A♭add9) 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:

Easy versioneasy

Barre, fret 1hard

Position 3medium

Position 10medium

Tap a string on a diagram to hear just that string. The sound is generated in your browser with a physical string model.

Chord finder Transposer Tuner

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

Easy version

String 1 (e): fret 6, ring finger (B♭4)
String 2 (B): not played
String 3 (G): fret 5, index finger (C4)
String 4 (D): fret 6, middle finger (A♭3)
String 5 (A): not played
String 6 (E): not played

Barre, fret 1, barre at fret 1

String 1 (e): not played
String 2 (B): fret 1, index finger (C4)
String 3 (G): fret 1, index finger (A♭3)
String 4 (D): fret 1, index finger (E♭3)
String 5 (A): fret 1, index finger (B♭2)
String 6 (E): fret 4, little finger (A♭2)

For the barre, lay your index finger flat across all the marked strings at fret 1; your other fingers press the higher frets.

Position 3

String 1 (e): fret 4, little finger (A♭4)
String 2 (B): fret 4, little finger (E♭4)
String 3 (G): fret 3, middle finger (B♭3)
String 4 (D): not played
String 5 (A): fret 3, index finger (C3)
String 6 (E): fret 4, ring finger (A♭2)

Tuning: E A D G B E (low to high). String 6 is the thickest, the low E. In the diagram, × means the string is not played, and a circle means an open string.

Playing A♭add9 with a capo

A capo clamps all the strings at one fret, so a familiar open shape sounds higher. You can also get a A♭add9 chord with these open shapes:

Capo: fret 1
shape: Gadd9

Capo: fret 4
shape: Eadd9

Rework a whole song for a capo: chord transposer →

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
A♭5 – all 2 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 guitar?

The easiest shape above is “Easy version”, rated easy. We show 4 shapes, from open and easy versions to movable barre shapes higher up the neck. With a capo you can also play it as a Gadd9 shape at fret 1 or a Eadd9 shape at fret 4.

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.