Abmadd9 Guitar Chord

Abmadd9 is a four-note chord built from Ab, B, Eb, Bb. Adding the major ninth to the minor triad — without a seventh — produces a rich, bittersweet sound used in ambient, indie, and neo-soul music. The ninth softens the darkness of the minor chord without the harmonic weight of a seventh.

4 ways to play Abmadd9

3124Open
344Fret 4
2344Fret 4
32148Fret 8

Notes

AbBEbBb

Intervals

Ab (Root), B (Minor 3rd), Eb (Perfect 5th), Bb (Major 9th)

Found in keys

Notes in the Ab Minor Add 9 Chord

The Ab Minor Add 9 chord is built from 4 notes: Ab, B, Eb, Bb. It is a minor add 9th chord — built from a root, minor third, perfect fifth, and added major ninth — no seventh is present. On guitar, these notes are voiced across multiple strings simultaneously to create the full chord sound. Depending on the voicing, some notes may be doubled in different octaves to fill out the sound.

Keys That Contain Ab Minor Add 9

Abmadd9 is built on the Abm minor chord, which appears diatonically in these keys:

Common Chord Progressions with Abmadd9

Ab Minor Add 9 appears in many common progressions. Here are the most-used patterns when Abmadd9 is the tonic minor chord:

imadd9 – VII – VIAtmospheric minor progression with added ninth colour
imadd9 – IVBittersweet minor-to-major movement

Use our chords in a key tool to find all the chords that naturally pair with Abmadd9 in any key.

Frequently Asked Questions

What notes are in the Ab Minor Add 9 chord?

The Ab Minor Add 9 chord is made up of Ab, B, Eb, Bb. These 4 notes form a four-note chord structure.

What key is the Ab Minor Add 9 chord in?

Ab Minor Add 9 naturally appears in the keys of Gb Major. It can also appear in other contexts as a borrowed chord or secondary chord.

How do I play the Abmadd9 chord on guitar?

Place your fingers on the guitar fretboard according to the diagram above. The numbered dots show finger placement (1 = index, 2 = middle, 3 = ring, 4 = pinky), "O" means play the string open, and "X" means mute that string.

Other Ab Chords

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