A♭ dominant ninth (A♭9) chord on ukulele

Dominant ninth chord (a dominant seventh plus a major ninth) on A♭: the notes of the A♭9 chord are A♭ – C – E♭ – G♭ – B♭. The same chord with a different spelling: G♯ dominant ninth (G♯9).

Dots show:

Basic shapeeasy

Position 3medium

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What the A♭9 chord sounds like

A dominant ninth is a dominant seventh with an added major ninth. A fuller, fatter dominant sound – a staple of funk, soul and blues.

Notes of the A♭9 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♭	minor seventh (10 semitones)
9	B♭	major second (2 semitones)

How to play it – with fingering

Basic shape

String 1 (A): fret 1, middle finger (B♭4)
String 2 (E): fret 2, ring finger (G♭4)
String 3 (C): open (C4)
String 4 (G): fret 1, index finger (A♭4)

Position 3

String 1 (A): fret 3, middle finger (C5)
String 2 (E): fret 4, ring finger (A♭4)
String 3 (C): fret 6, little finger (G♭4)
String 4 (G): fret 3, index finger (B♭4)

Tuning: G C E A (the G string is higher than the C – standard re-entrant ukulele tuning). In the diagram, × means the string is not played, and a circle means an open string.

Which keys is it in?

The A♭9 chord is built from the notes of these keys (for minor keys, both the natural and the harmonic minor are considered):

D♭ major: V9 (dominant)
B♭ minor: VII9

Similar chords and substitutes

If A♭9 is too hard, or you want a different colour in the same spot, these chords are worth a try.

Substitutes (by function)

D7 – tritone substitute: the same third and seventh, swapped – a jazz favourite
Cdim7 – diminished seventh on the third: a common stand-in for the dominant
A♭7 – a simpler dominant
A♭7sus4 – suspended dominant, less tense
C♯ – where it resolves (V → I)

Simpler versions

A♭7 – 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

Richer versions

A♭11 – the same chord plus 1 colour note
A♭13 – the same chord plus 1 colour note

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the A♭9 chord?

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

What is the easiest way to play A♭9 on ukulele?

The easiest shape above is “Basic shape”, 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♭9 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♭9 chord written?

The chord symbol is A♭9 (also written Ab9), and its full name is A♭ dominant ninth.