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A♭ minor major 9th chord on guitar (A♭mMaj9)
Also called or written A♭mMaj9, A♭minmaj9, A♭mM9, A♭min(maj9) or A♭m(maj9)
A♭ minor major 9th contains A♭, C♭, E♭, G and B♭. The 4th-fret voicing is a full barre with a pinky stretch to fret 6 on the high E.
How it is built
Formula 1, ♭3, 5, 7, 9
- Root positionA♭–C♭–E♭–G–B♭A♭mMaj94-6-5-4-4-6
- First inversionC♭–E♭–G–B♭–A♭A♭mMaj9/C♭7-6-6-8-8-6
- Second inversionE♭–G–B♭–A♭–C♭A♭mMaj9/E♭no shape on this instrument
- Third inversionG–B♭–A♭–C♭–E♭A♭mMaj9/G3-1-1-1-0-×
- Fourth inversionB♭–A♭–C♭–E♭–GA♭mMaj9/B♭×-1-1-1-0-3
How do you play an A♭ minor major 9th chord on guitar?
A♭ minor major 9th is played at the 4th fret as 4 6 5 4 4 6: barre your index finger across fret 4, ring finger on the A string at fret 6, middle finger on the D string at fret 5 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 | 3 | E♭ (5) |
| 4 (D) | 5 | 2 | G (7) |
| 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 low E, G, B and high E at fret 4 while the pinky reaches fret 6 on the high E.
A♭minmaj9/C♭ inversion
A♭ minor major 9th is played at the 6th fret as 7 6 6 8 8 6: barre your index finger across fret 6, middle finger on the low E string at fret 7, ring finger on the G string at fret 8 and pinky finger on the B string at fret 8.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 7 | 2 | C♭ (♭3) |
| 5 (A) | 6 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (5) |
| 4 (D) | 6 | 1 (barre) | A♭ (1) |
| 3 (G) | 8 | 3 | E♭ (5) |
| 2 (B) | 8 | 4 | G (7) |
| 1 (e) | 6 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (2) |
A♭minmaj9/G inversion
A♭ minor major 9th is played in open position as 3 1 1 1 0 ×: barre your index finger across fret 1 and pinky finger on the low E string at fret 3. The B string rings open. The high e string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 3 | 4 | G (7) |
| 5 (A) | 1 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (2) |
| 4 (D) | 1 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (5) |
| 3 (G) | 1 | 1 (barre) | A♭ (1) |
| 2 (B) | open | — | C♭ (♭3) |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
A♭minmaj9/B♭ inversion · open position
A♭ minor major 9th is played in open position as × 1 1 1 0 3: barre your index finger across fret 1 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 3. The B string rings open. The low E string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 1 | 1 (barre) | B♭ (2) |
| 4 (D) | 1 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (5) |
| 3 (G) | 1 | 1 (barre) | A♭ (1) |
| 2 (B) | open | — | C♭ (♭3) |
| 1 (e) | 3 | 4 | G (7) |
A♭minmaj9/B♭ inversion · fret 4
A♭ minor major 9th is played at the 4th fret as 6 6 5 4 4 4: barre your index finger across fret 4, ring finger on the low E string at fret 6, pinky finger on the A string at fret 6 and middle finger on the D string at fret 5.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 6 | 3 | B♭ (2) |
| 5 (A) | 6 | 4 | E♭ (5) |
| 4 (D) | 5 | 2 | G (7) |
| 3 (G) | 4 | 1 (barre) | C♭ (♭3) |
| 2 (B) | 4 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (5) |
| 1 (e) | 4 | 1 (barre) | A♭ (1) |
Why it sounds like that
A♭ minor major 9th is built from the formula 1, ♭3, 5, 7, 9. The major 7th G against the minor 3rd C♭ creates the chord's characteristic tension. Compare it to A♭ minor major 7th, which omits the 9th B♭.
What goes wrong with A♭ minor major 9th?
- Let the high E string buzz under the pinky at fret 6.
- Allow the middle finger to touch the G string, deadening the barre note at fret 4.
- Lift the index barre off the low E string, losing the root A♭.
When to use it
Use A♭ minor major 9th in place of A♭ minor for a more complex color. It suits jazz ballads and film-score tension.
Changing to and from A♭ minor major 9th
- Sliding the shape down one fret to the 3rd fret gives G minor major 9th.
- Move to A♭ minor major 7th by lifting the pinky off the high E string and letting the B string ring at fret 4.
Which voicing to use
The 4th-fret voicing puts the root A♭ in the bass for a grounded sound. The A♭ minor major 9th/C♭ inversion at the 6th fret places C♭ in the bass, softening the chord's bite. Choose the B♭ inversion when you want the 9th in the bass for a floating, unresolved feel.
Other A♭ chords
Common questions
How is A♭ minor major 9th written?
A♭ minor major 9th is written A♭mM9, min(maj9), m(maj9), or A♭minmaj9. The ASCII root spelling is Ab. It is also spelled G♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
What is the difference between A♭ minor major 9th and A♭ minor add 9?
A♭ minor add 9 contains A♭, C♭, E♭ and B♭, omitting the major 7th G. A♭ minor major 9th includes both the major 7th and the 9th, creating a denser, more dissonant sound.
Can A♭ minor major 9th be used in a minor key?
A♭ minor major 9th is the tonic chord in A♭ harmonic minor and A♭ melodic minor. The displayed shape preserves only the supplied notes and interval formula.