Abmadd9

Abmadd9 is Ab, Cb, Eb and Bb, a minor add nine. The shape this page opens on is written 42x34x, lowest string first.

Note by note. Ab is the root, Cb is the minor third, Eb is the fifth and Bb is the ninth.

Also written Abm(add9), Abmin(add9) or Ab-add9. The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 7 common shapes for Abmadd9 on the guitar, and 21 derived voicings in 2 families.

One note away. Change a single note of Abmadd9 and you have Abm (with one note taken away), Absus2 (with one note taken away), Abm6 (with one note moved), Abm69 (with one note added), Abm7 (with one note moved) or Abm9 (with one note added).

In which keys. Every note of Abmadd9 belongs to Eb minor (the iv), F# major (the ii), Ab minor (the i) and B major (the vi).

The common shapes, written lowest string first: 42x34x, 466446, xx6446, xx9896, x-11-9-8-11-x, x-11-9-x-11-11, x-14-13-13-11-x.

Under the hand. None of the shapes for Abmadd9 uses an open string, so every one of them is movable; the lowest sits at the 2nd fret. 2 of the 7 need a barre. Together they cover the neck from the 2nd fret to the 14th.

Drop 2. A close-position chord with the second voice from the top lowered an octave. Sits on four adjacent strings. Abmadd9 has x1110x, xx6446, 6664xx, xx8897, x-13-13-13-12-x, 4213xx, xx1304, x2634x.

Drop 3. The third voice from the top lowered an octave. The dropped voice becomes the bass, which is why a string is skipped. Abmadd9 has 4x130x, x2x344, 6x644x, x-11-x-8-11-7, 7x889x, 11-x-9-13-11-x, x-13-x-13-12-11, x6x496.

What kind of chord this is. Abmadd9 is a minor chord — root, minor third, fifth. minor chords on every root, and what they are for.

The common shapes and the derived voicings come from different places, and both are explained in where the chords and the theory come from.