Chords › A♭9
A Flat 9 Chord on Guitar
- A♭9
- A♭ · C · E♭ · G♭ · B♭
- From fret 1
- Also written G♯9
Movable, fret 3
A♭9 is a dominant ninth chord: a dominant seventh with the ninth added, the funk and blues chord. A♭9 has no open shape, so it is usually played as a 4-string shape near the nut.
How to play A♭9, finger by finger
- Put your index finger on string 5 at the 3rd fret.
- Put your middle finger on string 3 at the 3rd fret.
- Put your ring finger on string 6 at the 4th fret.
- Put your pinky finger on string 4 at the 4th fret.
- Strum strings 6 to 3 only.
More ways to play A♭9
Notes in A♭9
| Note | Interval | Role |
|---|---|---|
| A♭ | 1 | root |
| C | 3 | major third |
| E♭ | 5 | fifth |
| G♭ | ♭7 | flat seventh |
| B♭ | 9 | ninth |
Formula: 1 – 3 – 5 – ♭7 – 9
Questions about A♭9
What notes are in A♭9?
A♭, C, E♭, G♭ and B♭. Those are the 1, 3, 5, ♭7, 9 of the chord, counted from A♭.
Which strings do I strum for A♭9?
All six strings.
Is A♭9 the same as G♯9?
Yes, on guitar they are played the same way and sound the same. A flat and G sharp are two names for one note: songs in sharp keys write G♯, songs in flat keys write A♭.
What chord does A♭9 lead to?
Most often C♯. A♭9 is the five chord of C♯, so it pulls strongly back to C♯.
Related chords
Often played with A♭9
Other 9 chords