Piano chord
A♭ Dominant 9th Chord
A♭9 is a dominant 9th chord built on A♭. It contains the notes A♭ – C – E♭ – G♭ – B♭.
A♭9
Also written: A♭dom9, G♯9
- A♭
- C
- E♭
- G♭
- B♭
C
A♭
E♭
G♭
B♭
Notes in A♭9
Count up from A♭ using the intervals below. The formula shows each note relative to the A♭ major scale.
| Notes | Intervals | Formula | Semitones |
|---|---|---|---|
| A♭ | Root | 1 | 0 |
| C | Major 3rd | 3 | 4 |
| E♭ | Perfect 5th | 5 | 7 |
| G♭ | Minor 7th | ♭7 | 10 |
| B♭ | Major 9th | 9 | 14 |
How to play A♭9 on piano
- Split it between the hands: left hand plays A♭ (and the 7th if there is one), right hand plays the 3rd, 5th and 9th.
- Dropping the 5th is fine — it adds little colour and frees a finger.
- Keep the 9th on top for the smoothest sound.
About dominant 9th chords
A dominant 7th with a major 9th on top. It keeps the 7th's pull towards resolution but sounds fuller and smoother — the go-to chord of funk, soul and blues piano.
Sound: Funky & soulful
Songs that use it
- Kiss · PrinceFunk
- Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine · James BrownFunk
Keys that contain A♭9
A♭9 is built only from notes of these keys. The Roman numeral shows its role in each key.
Hear A♭9 with different sounds and compare it with other chords in the interactive builder.
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