What notes are in the Ab9 chord?

Ab9 contains Ab, C, Eb, Gb, Bb. Its formula is 1-3-5-b7-9.

What is the easiest way to play Ab9?

Try 4 3 4 3 x x (Movable shape (3rd fret)). It uses 4 fretted notes and no barre.

Ab9 belongs to Db major (as the V9 chord).

Is Ab9 the same as G#9?

Yes. Ab and G# are the same pitch on the guitar, so Ab9 and G#9 use the same shapes. The name depends on the key: flat keys use flats and sharp keys use sharps.

Why does my Ab9 chord buzz?

Press each string just behind the fret wire, keep your fingertips upright so they don't touch the next string, and keep your thumb behind the neck. On a barre, roll the index finger slightly onto its bony edge.

Can I use a capo for Ab9?

Yes. A capo lets you play Ab9 with an easier open shape: use the chord transposer to find which shape to play for a given capo fret.

Can I play Ab7 instead of Ab9?

Yes. Ab7 is the same chord without the 9th, so it always works as a simpler substitute.

Ab9 Chord on Guitar: 3 Easy Ways to Play A Flat Ninth (Charts)

Ab9 chord charts with finger numbers, an easier version, the notes and intervals, and the keys and progressions that use it. Also searched as ab9 chord, ab9 guitar chord and how to play Ab9.

By David Sandy, guitar player and founder of Sandy Music Lab. Every chord shape on this page is checked note by note against the chord's formula.

Barre (4th fret, E-string root)
4 6 4 5 4 6

Easy 4-string version
x x 6 5 7 6

Movable shape (3rd fret)
4 3 4 3 x x

Numbers are fingers (1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring, 4 pinky, T thumb). × = don't play that string, ○ = play it open. A long bar is a barre: one finger flat across those strings. Strings run low E (left) to high e (right).

Chord chart by Sandy Music Lab

Quick answer: To play Ab9 (A flat ninth) on guitar, play 4 6 4 5 4 6 from the low E string to the high e string (the barre (4th fret, E-string root) shape). The chord contains Ab, C, Eb, Gb, Bb. If that is hard, use the easier shape 4 3 4 3 x x, which needs 4 fretted notes.

Ab9 chord facts

Chord	Ab9 (A flat ninth)
Other names	Abdom9, G#9 (enharmonic spelling, same notes and shapes)
Notes	Ab, C, Eb, Gb, Bb
Intervals	Ab (root), C (major 3rd), Eb (perfect 5th), Gb (minor 7th), Bb (major 9th)
Formula	1-3-5-b7-9
Difficulty	Intermediate (barre or stretch)
Shapes on this page	3

How do you play Ab9 on guitar?

The main shape is 4 6 4 5 4 6 (Barre (4th fret, E-string root)). Finger by finger:

Lay your index finger flat across the low E to high e strings at fret 4. This is the barre.
Put your middle finger (2) on the G string at fret 5 (C, the major 3rd).