Chords
Ab Augmented add nine
Ab · C · E · Bb
Ab Augmented add nine (Abmaj#5add9) is a augmented chord of 4 notes: Ab · C · E · Bb.
Also written AbM#5add9 · Ab+add9
Ab Augmented add nine
Ab · C · E · Bb
Voicings on the piano
| Voicing | Notes | Play it on your instrument |
|---|---|---|
| Closed, root position | Ab3 · C4 · E4 · Bb4 | |
| Open (drop 2) | E3 · Ab3 · C4 · Bb4 |
Tap a key or a fret to hear it.
Anatomy
Ab Augmented add nine (Abmaj#5add9) contains the notes Ab · C · E · Bb, each with a role measured as an interval from the root.
Read on: how triads are built · extensions
Inversions
An inversion of Ab Augmented add nine puts a chord tone other than Ab in the bass; the name after the slash is that bass note.
Where it lives
The keys and the scales Ab Augmented add nine belongs to.
In which keys
Ab Augmented add nine is diatonic to 1 key; the numeral is its degree and the label its harmonic function.
- F minorIII+maj#5add9Tonic
Scales that contain it
Ab Augmented add nine fits inside these scales, each built on Ab.
- Ab Whole ToneAb · Bb · C · D · E · F#
- Ab Harmonic MajorAb · Bb · C · Db · Eb · Fb · G
- Ab Flat Six PentatonicAb · Bb · C · Eb · Fb
- Ab Mixolydian b6Ab · Bb · C · Db · Eb · Fb · Gb
- Ab Lydian AugmentedAb · Bb · C · D · E · F · G
- Ab Leading Whole ToneAb · Bb · C · D · E · Gb · G
- Ab Lydian MinorAb · Bb · C · D · Eb · Fb · Gb
- Ab Major AugmentedAb · Bb · C · Db · E · F · G
Understanding the Ab Augmented add nine chord
Names and symbols
Abmaj#5add9 is the chord symbol for Ab Augmented add nine; it is also written AbM#5add9, Ab+add9.
Common questions
- What notes are in the Ab Augmented add nine chord?
- The Ab Augmented add nine chord contains the notes Ab · C · E · Bb: the root Ab with the intervals 1P, 3M, 5A, 9M stacked above it. Play them together for the chord or one after another for an arpeggio. The lowest note is normally Ab, but any chord tone can take the bass in an inversion.
- What intervals make up the Ab Augmented add nine chord?
- Measured from Ab, the Ab Augmented add nine chord stacks the intervals 1P, 3M, 5A, 9M. The quality of the third and of the seventh, if there is one, is what gives the chord its character; the rest of the notes colour it. Every interval in the formula links to its own page, with its sound.
- How do I play the Ab Augmented add nine chord?
- On guitar the most common Ab Augmented add nine shape is 412114, read from the lowest string to the highest; the instrument panel above shows several more with their fingerings. On piano play Ab3 · C4 · E4 · Bb4 with the right hand, or move the root down into the left hand and keep the rest above it. Every shape on this page plays when you press it.