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A♭ 6th add 9 chord on guitar (A♭6/9)
Also called or written A♭6/9, A♭6add9, A♭ 6th Add 9th or A♭ 6th 9
A♭ 6th add 9 contains A♭, C, E♭, F, and B♭. The 3rd fret grip barres the A, D, and G strings while the middle finger frets the low E.
How it is built
Formula 1, 3, 5, 6, 9
- Root positionA♭–C–E♭–F–B♭A♭6/94-3-3-3-4-4
- First inversionC–E♭–F–B♭–A♭A♭6/9/C×-3-3-3-4-4
- Second inversionE♭–F–B♭–A♭–CA♭6/9/E♭11-11-10-10-11-×
- Third inversionF–B♭–A♭–C–E♭A♭6/9/F1-1-1-1-1-1
- Fourth inversionB♭–A♭–C–E♭–FA♭6/9/B♭×-1-1-1-1-1
How do you play an A♭ 6th add 9 chord on guitar?
A♭ 6th add 9 is played at the 3rd fret as 4 3 3 3 4 4: barre your index finger across fret 3, middle finger on the low E string at fret 4, ring finger on the B string at fret 4 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 4.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 4 | 2 | A♭ (1) |
| 5 (A) | 3 | 1 (barre) | C (3) |
| 4 (D) | 3 | 1 (barre) | F (6) |
| 3 (G) | 3 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (2) |
| 2 (B) | 4 | 3 | E♭ (5) |
| 1 (e) | 4 | 4 | A♭ (1) |
AdvancedThe index barre must fret the A, D, and G strings cleanly while the middle finger frets the low E at the 4th fret.
10th fret
A♭ 6th add 9 is played at the 10th fret as × 11 10 10 11 11: barre your index finger across fret 10, middle finger on the A string at fret 11, ring finger on the B string at fret 11 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 11. The low E string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 11 | 2 | A♭ (1) |
| 4 (D) | 10 | 1 (barre) | C (3) |
| 3 (G) | 10 | 1 (barre) | F (6) |
| 2 (B) | 11 | 3 | B♭ (2) |
| 1 (e) | 11 | 4 | E♭ (5) |
A♭6add9/C inversion · ×-3-3-3-4-4
A♭ 6th add 9 is played at the 3rd fret as × 3 3 3 4 4: barre your index finger across fret 3, ring finger on the B string at fret 4 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 4. The low E string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 3 | 1 (barre) | C (3) |
| 4 (D) | 3 | 1 (barre) | F (6) |
| 3 (G) | 3 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (2) |
| 2 (B) | 4 | 3 | E♭ (5) |
| 1 (e) | 4 | 4 | A♭ (1) |
A♭6add9/C inversion · 8-6-6-8-6-6
A♭ 6th add 9 is played at the 6th fret as 8 6 6 8 6 6: barre your index finger across fret 6, ring finger on the low E string at fret 8 and pinky finger on the G string at fret 8.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 8 | 3 | C (3) |
| 5 (A) | 6 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (5) |
| 4 (D) | 6 | 1 (barre) | A♭ (1) |
| 3 (G) | 8 | 4 | E♭ (5) |
| 2 (B) | 6 | 1 (barre) | F (6) |
| 1 (e) | 6 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (2) |
A♭6add9/C inversion · 8-8-6-8-6-6
A♭ 6th add 9 is played at the 6th fret as 8 8 6 8 6 6: barre your index finger across fret 6, middle finger on the low E string at fret 8, ring finger on the A string at fret 8 and pinky finger on the G string at fret 8.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 8 | 2 | C (3) |
| 5 (A) | 8 | 3 | F (6) |
| 4 (D) | 6 | 1 (barre) | A♭ (1) |
| 3 (G) | 8 | 4 | E♭ (5) |
| 2 (B) | 6 | 1 (barre) | F (6) |
| 1 (e) | 6 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (2) |
Why it sounds like that
A♭ 6th add 9 is built from the formula 1, 3, 5, 6, 9. The major 6th and major 2nd add color to the major triad. Compare it to A♭ 6th, which omits the 9th.
What goes wrong with A♭ 6th add 9?
- Let the B string buzz under the ring finger by not arching it enough.
- Allow the index barre to lift off the G string, causing a dead note.
When to use it
Use A♭ 6th add 9 as the tonic in A♭ major progressions like A♭–D♭–E♭–A♭ (I–IV–V–I). It suits jazz, blues, and R&B.
Changing to and from A♭ 6th add 9
- Slide the shape down two frets to the 1st fret to play F♯ 6th add 9.
- Slide the shape down one fret to the 2nd fret to play G 6th add 9.
Which voicing to use
The 3rd fret position keeps A♭ in the bass. The A♭6add9/C inversions put C in the bass, giving a first-inversion sound.
Other A♭ chords
Common questions
How is A♭ 6th add 9 written?
A♭ 6th add 9 is written A♭6/9 or A♭6add9. The ASCII root spelling is Ab. It is also spelled G♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
How does A♭ 6th add 9 differ from A♭ 6th?
A♭ 6th add 9 adds the 9th, B♭, to the A♭ 6th chord. The 9th creates a more colorful, extended sound.
Why is the low E string not muted in A♭ 6th add 9?
The low E string is fretted at the 4th fret, producing A♭, which is the root note. All six strings are played.