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A♭ add 9 chord on ukulele (A♭add9)
Also called or written A♭add9, A♭ or A♭ Add 9th
A♭ add 9 is built from A♭, C, E♭, and B♭. The only voicing is the A♭add9/B♭ inversion at the 3rd fret, which places the 9th in the bass.
A♭add9/E♭ inversionfrom fret 3
How it is built
Formula 1, 3, 5, 9
- Root positionA♭–C–E♭–B♭A♭add9no shape on this instrument
- First inversionC–E♭–B♭–A♭A♭add9/Cno shape on this instrument
- Second inversionE♭–B♭–A♭–CA♭add9/E♭3-3-4-3
- Third inversionB♭–A♭–C–E♭A♭add9/B♭3-3-4-3
How do you play an A♭ add 9 chord on ukulele?
A♭ add 9 is played at the 3rd fret as 3 3 4 3: index finger on the G string at fret 3, middle finger on the C string at fret 3, pinky finger on the E string at fret 4 and ring finger on the A string at fret 3.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 3 | 1 | B♭ (2) |
| 3 (C) | 3 | 2 | E♭ (5) |
| 2 (E) | 4 | 4 | A♭ (1) |
| 1 (A) | 3 | 3 | C (3) |
AdvancedThe pinky must reach the E string at fret 4 while the index, middle, and ring fingers hold the other strings at fret 3, stretching the hand.
Why it sounds like that
A♭ add 9 uses the formula 1, 3, 5, 9. The major 2nd between A♭ and B♭ adds a bright suspension to the major triad. Compare A♭ add 9 with A♭ major, which omits the 9th for a plainer sound.
What goes wrong with A♭ add 9?
- The pinky collapses and mutes the E string, losing the 5th.
- The index finger on the G string leans back and deadens the C string.
- The ring finger on the A string buzzes because it is not close enough to the fret wire.
When to use it
A♭ add 9 acts as the tonic in A♭ major, fitting the I–IV–V–I progression A♭–D♭–E♭–A♭. Its bright, ringing quality suits jazz and ballads. Use A♭ add 9 to replace A♭ major for a more expansive sound.
Changing to and from A♭ add 9
- From A♭ add 9 to G add 9, slide the entire shape down one fret to the 2nd fret.
- From A♭ add 9 to A add 9, slide the entire shape up one fret to the 4th fret.
Which voicing to use
The A♭add9/B♭ inversion at the 3rd fret places the 9th in the bass, creating a floating, unresolved sound that works well before a resolution to A♭ major. There is no root-position voicing for A♭ add 9 on the ukulele.
Other A♭ chords
Common questions
How is A♭ add 9 written?
A♭ add 9 is written as A♭add9 or A♭ add 9. The ASCII root is Ab, so Abadd9 is also used. It is also spelled G♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
What is the difference between A♭ add 9 and A♭ major 7th?
A♭ add 9 contains the 9th (B♭) but no 7th. A♭ major 7th contains the 7th (G) but no 9th. The add 9 has a more open, suspended quality.
Can A♭ add 9 be played with a barre?
The A♭add9/B♭ inversion at the 3rd fret uses individual fingers, not a barre. No barre is required for this shape.