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

Looking for the A♭maj9 chord on piano? 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).

Full chord: A♭3 – C4 – E♭4 – G4 – B♭4

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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)
7	G	major seventh (11 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 – C4 – E♭4 – G4 – B♭4

Two-hand voicing

A♭2 – C4 – G4 – B♭4 – E♭5

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.

How do I play the A♭maj9 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♭maj9 chord written?

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