Abmaj9

Abmaj9 is Ab, C, Eb, G and Bb, a major ninth. The shape this page opens on is written x11113, lowest string first.

Note by note. Ab is the root, C is the major third, Eb is the fifth, G is the major seventh and Bb is the ninth.

Also written AbM9, AbΔ9, Abma9 or Ab major 9. The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 11 common shapes for Abmaj9 on the guitar, and 38 derived voicings in 4 families.

One note away. Change a single note of Abmaj9 and you have Abmaj7 (with one note taken away), Abmaj11 (with one note added), Abmaj13 (with one note added), AbmMaj9 (with one note moved), Abadd9 (with one note taken away) or Ab69 (with one note moved).

In which keys. Every note of Abmaj9 belongs to C minor (the ♭VI), Eb major (the IV), F minor (the ♭III) and Ab major (the I).

The common shapes, written lowest string first: x11113, xx1313, 411113, 435343, 465546, xx5546, xx6586, 866886, x-11-8-8-8-8, x-11-10-12-11-x, 11-11-10-12-11-x.

Under the hand. None of the shapes for Abmaj9 uses an open string, so every one of them is movable; the lowest sits at the 1st fret. 6 of the 11 need a barre. Together they cover the neck from the 1st fret to the 12th.

Shell. Root, third and seventh: the guide tones fix the quality, so the fifth is dropped. That is what leaves a string free, so pick a tension to put on top. Abmaj9 has 4353xx, x-11-10-12-11-x, xx6586.

Drop 2. A close-position chord with the second voice from the top lowered an octave. Sits on four adjacent strings. Abmaj9 has 4353xx, x-11-10-12-11-x, x1511x, xx5314, xx6586, 8-11-8-12-x-x, x-x-8-12-9-8, x3638x.

Drop 3. The third voice from the top lowered an octave. The dropped voice becomes the bass, which is why a string is skipped. Abmaj9 has x1x113, 4x531x, 6x658x, x-11-x-12-11-8, 8-x-8-12-9-x, x-13-x-13-13-15, x3x384, x-10-x-5-9-6.

Rootless. The root left to the bass player. Frees a finger for a tension. Abmaj9 has x1101x, xx1313, x3534x, xx5546, xx8888, x-x-10-12-11-11, x-13-13-12-13-x, x-x-13-15-13-15.

Tensions. A shell of Abmaj9, root, third and seventh, leaves a string free, and the tones that belong over it are the #11 (D) and the 13 (F).

What kind of chord this is. Abmaj9 is a major chord — root, major third, fifth. major 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.