Abmaj9 Ab major ninth chord
- Notes
- Ab C Eb G Bb
- Formula
- 1 3 5 7 9
- Semitones
- 0 4 7 11 14 above the root
- Also written
- G#maj9 (G# B# D# F## A#)
- Other symbols
- AbM9, AbΔ9
Ab to C is a major third (4 semitones), C to Eb is a minor third (3 semitones), Eb to G is a major third (4 semitones), G to Bb is a minor third (3 semitones). A major seventh (Abmaj7) with the ninth, Bb, on top. The fifth, Eb, is often left out on guitar.
Abmaj9 on the piano
Root position from Ab4: Ab4, C5, Eb5, G5, Bb5. Middle C is C4.
Abmaj9 on the guitar
Standard tuning (E A D G B E). Strings run low E on the left to high e on the right, frets downwards; × is a muted string, ○ an open string, and each dot shows the note it sounds, with the root in blue-green. Every shape below has Ab as its lowest note.
4 3 5 3 4 x (low E to high e)
Sounds Ab2 C3 G3 Bb3 Eb4
x 11 10 12 11 x (low E to high e)
Sounds Ab3 C4 G4 Bb4, fifth left out
The E-shape and A-shape grips are movable: an E-shape chord's root is the note under your first finger on the low E string, an A-shape chord's root is the note on the A string. Slide the same grip up or down to play major ninth chords on other roots.
Inversions of Abmaj9
An inversion puts a note other than the root in the bass. The name is what semicord's chord finder calls those notes played bottom to top; a slash name like C/E means a C chord with E in the bass.
| Position | Notes, bass first | Named | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Root position | Ab C Eb G Bb | Abmaj9 | |
| 1st inversion | C Eb G Bb Ab | Abmaj9/C | |
| 2nd inversion | Eb G Bb Ab C | Abmaj9/Eb | |
| 3rd inversion | G Bb Ab C Eb | Abmaj9/G | |
| 4th inversion | Bb Ab C Eb G | Abmaj7/Bb (also read as Abmaj9/Bb) |
Where Abmaj9 fits
Abmaj9 is Imaj9 in Ab major, IVmaj9 in Eb major. Its upper four notes C Eb G Bb are Cm7: play that chord over a Ab bass and you have Abmaj9.