A♭7♭9 Chord on Guitar

A♭7♭9 is the A♭ dominant 7♭9 chord — 5 notes (A♭, C, E♭, G♭, B♭♭) built from the formula 1 3 5 ♭7 ♭9. Below are playable shapes across the fretboard, the keys it belongs to and the scales to use when soloing over it.

Notes: A♭ · C · E♭ · G♭ · B♭♭Formula: 1 · 3 · 5 · ♭7 · ♭9Hear it and see it on the fretboard ▸

A♭7♭9: Chord shapes (open & barre)

  • A♭7♭9 – open positionR♭95R3♭7open position
  • A♭7♭9 – fret 44R5♭735♭9fret 4
  • A♭7♭9 – fret 55××R3♭7♭9fret 5
  • A♭7♭9 – fret 1010×R3♭7♭95fret 10

A♭7♭9: Shell voicings (jazz)

  • A♭7♭9 – R-3-7R3♭7×××R-3-7
  • A♭7♭9 – R-3-710×R3♭7××R-3-7
  • A♭7♭9 – R-7-3R×♭73××R-7-3
  • A♭7♭9 – R-7-311×R×♭73×R-7-3

Scales to play over A♭7♭9

Ordered from the most common choice. All of them contain A♭, C, E♭, G♭, B♭♭.

Other A♭ chords

Dominant 7♭9 chords in other keys

FAQ

What notes are in the A♭7♭9 chord?
A♭7♭9 (A♭ dominant 7♭9) contains A♭, C, E♭, G♭, B♭♭ — formula 1 3 5 ♭7 ♭9.
How do you play A♭7♭9 on guitar?
A common shape is 401112 (low E to high E, x = muted string, open position). This page shows more shapes, drop 2, drop 3 and shell voicings in the interactive library.
What scale goes with A♭7♭9?
Good choices to solo over A♭7♭9: A♭ Phrygian dominant, A♭ Diminished (half-whole).