A♭ minor ninth (A♭m9) chord on piano

Looking for the A♭m9 chord on piano? It is a minor ninth chord (a minor seventh plus a major ninth), made of five notes: A♭ – C♭ – E♭ – G♭ – B♭. The same chord with a different spelling: G♯ minor ninth (G♯m9).

Full chord: A♭3 – C♭4 – E♭4 – G♭4 – B♭4

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What the A♭m9 chord sounds like

A minor ninth is a minor seventh with an added major ninth: soft and warm, typical of R&B and neo-soul.

Notes of the A♭m9 chord

Degree	Note	Interval from the root
1	A♭	root
3	C♭	minor third (3 semitones)
5	E♭	perfect fifth (7 semitones)
7	G♭	minor seventh (10 semitones)
9	B♭	major second (2 semitones)

Piano voicings

Chords with five or more notes are rarely played in one hand: the left hand takes the root, the right hand the colour notes. The fifth (and in an eleventh chord the third) is often left out.

Full chord

A♭3 – C♭4 – E♭4 – G♭4 – B♭4

Two-hand voicing

A♭2 – C♭4 – G♭4 – B♭4 – E♭5

Which keys is it in?

The A♭m9 chord is built from the notes of these keys (for minor keys, both the natural and the harmonic minor are considered):

E♭ minor: iv9 (subdominant)
G♭ major: ii9

Similar chords and substitutes

If A♭m9 is too hard, or you want a different colour in the same spot, these chords are worth a try.

Substitutes (by function)

B – relative major: two shared notes
E – the major chord a major third below: two shared notes
A♭m7 – a fuller, softer minor colour

Simpler versions

A♭m7 – all 4 of its notes are in this chord
A♭m – 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♭m9 chord?

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

How do I play the A♭m9 chord on piano?

Play the root with your left hand and the colour notes (third, seventh, ninth) with your right hand – the two-hand voicing above. Stacking all 5 notes in one hand is possible but sounds crowded.

How is the A♭m9 chord written?

The chord symbol is A♭m9 (also written Abm9), and its full name is A♭ minor ninth.