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A♭ minor add 9 chord on guitar (A♭madd9)
Also called or written A♭madd9, A♭m add9, A♭ or A♭ minor Add 9th
A♭ minor add 9 is built from A♭, C♭, E♭, and B♭. The 4th-fret barre shape is identical in fingering to A minor add 9 but one fret lower.
How it is built
Formula 1, ♭3, 5, 9
- Root positionA♭–C♭–E♭–B♭A♭madd94-6-6-4-4-6
- First inversionC♭–E♭–B♭–A♭A♭madd9/C♭×-2-×-3-4-4
- Second inversionE♭–B♭–A♭–C♭A♭madd9/E♭×-6-6-4-4-6
- Third inversionB♭–A♭–C♭–E♭A♭madd9/B♭×-1-1-1-0-×
How do you play an A♭ minor add 9 chord on guitar?
A♭ minor add 9 is played at the 4th fret as 4 6 6 4 4 6: barre your index finger across fret 4, middle finger on the A string at fret 6, ring finger on the D string at fret 6 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 6.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 4 | 1 (barre) | A♭ (1) |
| 5 (A) | 6 | 2 | E♭ (5) |
| 4 (D) | 6 | 3 | A♭ (1) |
| 3 (G) | 4 | 1 (barre) | C♭ (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | 4 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (5) |
| 1 (e) | 6 | 4 | B♭ (2) |
AdvancedThe index barre must hold the 6th, 3rd, 2nd, and 1st strings at the 4th fret while the pinky reaches the 6th fret on the high e.
A♭m add9/C♭ inversion · fret 2
A♭ minor add 9 is played at the 2nd fret as × 2 × 3 4 4: index finger on the A string at fret 2, middle finger on the G string at 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 and D strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 2 | 1 | C♭ (♭3) |
| 4 (D) | muted | — | — |
| 3 (G) | 3 | 2 | B♭ (2) |
| 2 (B) | 4 | 3 | E♭ (5) |
| 1 (e) | 4 | 4 | A♭ (1) |
A♭m add9/C♭ inversion · fret 6
A♭ minor add 9 is played at the 6th fret as 7 6 6 8 × 6: barre your index finger across fret 6, ring finger on the low E string at fret 7 and pinky finger on the G string at fret 8. The B string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 7 | 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) | muted | — | — |
| 1 (e) | 6 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (2) |
A♭m add9/C♭ inversion · fret 7
A♭ minor add 9 is played at the 7th fret as 7 × 8 8 9 7: barre your index finger across fret 7, middle finger on the D string at fret 8, ring finger on the G string at fret 8 and pinky finger on the B string at fret 9. The A string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 7 | 1 (barre) | C♭ (♭3) |
| 5 (A) | muted | — | — |
| 4 (D) | 8 | 2 | B♭ (2) |
| 3 (G) | 8 | 3 | E♭ (5) |
| 2 (B) | 9 | 4 | A♭ (1) |
| 1 (e) | 7 | 1 (barre) | C♭ (♭3) |
A♭m add9/E♭ inversion
A♭ minor add 9 is played at the 4th fret as × 6 6 4 4 6: barre your index finger across fret 4, middle finger on the A string at fret 6, ring finger on the D string at fret 6 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 6. The low E string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 6 | 2 | E♭ (5) |
| 4 (D) | 6 | 3 | A♭ (1) |
| 3 (G) | 4 | 1 (barre) | C♭ (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | 4 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (5) |
| 1 (e) | 6 | 4 | B♭ (2) |
Why it sounds like that
A♭ minor add 9 uses the formula 1, ♭3, 5, 9. The major 2nd between A♭ and B♭ adds the ninth, while the minor 3rd between A♭ and C♭ keeps the minor quality. Compare with A♭ minor, which omits the ninth.
What goes wrong with A♭ minor add 9?
- Letting the index barre lift off the high e string, causing a buzz at the 4th fret.
- Flattening the middle finger onto the 4th string and deadening the D at the 6th fret.
Changing to and from A♭ minor add 9
- Sliding the shape up one fret to the 5th fret gives A minor add 9.
- From A♭ minor, lift the pinky and middle finger to return to the 4th-fret A♭ minor barre.
Which voicing to use
The 4th-fret voicing puts A♭ in the bass for a root-position sound. The A♭m add9/B inversion at the 2nd fret places C♭ in the bass, giving a darker, less stable feel.
Other A♭ chords
Common questions
How is A♭ minor add 9 written?
A♭ minor add 9 is written as A♭m add9 or A♭ minor add 9. It is also spelled G♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
What is the difference between A♭ minor add 9 and A♭ minor 9?
A♭ minor add 9 contains only the root, minor third, fifth, and ninth. A♭ minor 9 adds the minor seventh as well, creating a denser, more dissonant sound.
Can I play A♭ minor add 9 without the barre?
Yes, the A♭m add9/B inversion at the 2nd fret uses no barre. It omits the low E string and places C♭ in the bass, but it is easier for beginners.