1,008 guitar chords with several shapes each, finger numbers, difficulty and real sound, in any tuning.
A♭add9 (also written G♯add9) is a added ninth chord made of 4 notes: A♭, C, E♭, B♭. It sounds shimmering: a major chord with an extra note on top, and you hear it in acoustic pop and rock, and pretty versions of plain major chords. It is the I chord of A♭ major and turns up in 5 other keys.
The library above opens on A♭add9 with 14 shapes up and down the neck. Tap a shape to hear it, or play it one string at a time.
| Note | Degree | Interval from A♭ | Semitones |
|---|---|---|---|
| A♭ | 1 | root | 0 |
| C | 3 | major third | 4 |
| E♭ | 5 | perfect fifth | 7 |
| B♭ | 9 | major ninth | 14 |
Formula: 1 – 3 – 5 – 9. On guitar the 5th is often left out of the bigger shapes without changing the chord. With the other spelling, G♯add9 is G♯, B♯, D♯, A♯: the same sounds under different names.
xx654641111443131x43x3444665x6x(11)8898The fret 4 shape is the one to learn first. Once it is easy, try the shape at the 8th fret (x(11)8898): the same chord, higher and brighter, handy when the chords before and after it sit up the neck.
A♭add9 belongs to 6 keys: V in D♭ major, IV in E♭ major, I in A♭ major, VI in C minor, III in F minor, VII in B♭ minor. In A♭ major, try I–V–vi–IV: A♭add9 – E♭ – Fm – D♭.
A♭, C, E♭, B♭: the root, major third, fifth, ninth.
Fret 4: xx6546 (low string first), rated Easy.
A♭add9 has the same notes where A♭9 has G♭. A♭add9 sounds shimmering: a major chord with an extra note on top; A♭9 sounds funky and full, a seventh chord with more colour.
No. The easiest shape is rated Easy and needs 4 fingers.