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A♭9 Chord on Guitar

A♭9 is the A♭ dominant 9th 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♭9: Chord shapes (open & barre)

  • A♭9 – fret 1R95R3♭7fret 1
  • A♭9 – fret 3R3♭795×fret 3
  • A♭9 – fret 44R5♭7359fret 4
  • A♭9 – fret 55××R3♭79fret 5
  • A♭9 – fret 88×R9♭7R3fret 8
  • A♭9 – fret 1010×R3♭79×fret 10

A♭9: Shell voicings (jazz)

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

Keys that contain A♭9

Scales to play over A♭9

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

Other A♭ chords

Triads

Sevenths

Sixths

Added

Extended

Dominant 9th chords in other keys

FAQ

What notes are in the A♭9 chord?
A♭9 (A♭ dominant 9th) contains A♭, C, E♭, G♭, B♭ — formula 1 3 5 ♭7 9.
How do you play A♭9 on guitar?
A common shape is 411112 (low E to high E, x = muted string, around fret 1). This page shows more shapes, drop 2, drop 3 and shell voicings in the interactive library.
What scale goes with A♭9?
Good choices to solo over A♭9: A♭ Mixolydian, A♭ Lydian dominant, A♭ Mixolydian ♭6.
What key is A♭9 in?
A♭9 is diatonic in D♭ major (V9), B♭ minor (♭VII9).