Ab Add9 Guitar Chord (Abadd9)
The Ab Add9 chord (Abadd9) is built from the notes Ab, C, Eb, and Bb: the R, 3, 5, 9 of Ab. Below are the five ways to play Abadd9 on guitar, laid out in order from the lowest position on the neck to the highest.
A added ninth chord is a major chord with a shimmering ninth on top, common in modern pop and acoustic playing. The lowest shape starts around fret 1, and Abadd9 appears in four more positions higher up the neck.
Notes in Abadd9
How to play Abadd9: five positions
Strings run low E to high e, left to right. Dots are finger positions, a ringed dot is the root (Ab), an × means don't play that string, and the label on the right (like "11fr") is the starting fret. Under each shape are the notes it sounds and their role in the chord.
Hear it and explore other chords →
The free interactive Chord Library lets you switch roots and flavors instantly and see every voicing update live.
Other Ab chords
The add9 chord in other keys
Frequently asked questions
- What notes are in the Ab Add9 chord?
- The Ab Add9 chord (Abadd9) contains the notes Ab, C, Eb, and Bb. Those are the R, 3, 5, 9 of Ab, so the chord is Ab (the root), C (the third), Eb (the fifth), and Bb (the ninth).
- How do you play Abadd9 on guitar?
- There are five ways to play Abadd9, one for each CAGED shape. The lowest shape starts around fret 1, and Abadd9 appears in four more positions higher up the neck. A nearby voicing often makes an awkward chord change much easier, so if one shape fights you, try the next one up or down the neck.
- What does a Abadd9 chord sound like?
- A added ninth chord is a major chord with a shimmering ninth on top, common in modern pop and acoustic playing. You can hear Abadd9 and any progression built from it in the free interactive tools on this site.
- Is Abadd9 a hard chord to play?
- Abadd9 has no open shape in standard tuning, so it is usually played as a barre chord. That takes a little hand strength, but the shape is movable: learn it once and you can slide it to other roots.