Piano chords · Add9 chord

A♭add9 piano chord (A♭ added ninth)

A♭add9 (also written G♯add9) is a added ninth chord with 4 notes. It sounds bright and shimmering. Here's how to find it, play it and hear it.

A♭CE♭B♭

A♭ – C – E♭ – B♭ · tap any key to hear it

The notes of A♭add9

A♭add9 is built from 4 notes (1 – 3 – 5 – 9):

A♭, the root
C, the major third
E♭, the fifth
B♭, the ninth

A♭ and E♭ and B♭ are black keys, so keep your hand slightly further in, towards the fallboard, to reach them without stretching.

Fingering

Right hand: 1 on A♭, 2 on C, 3 on E♭, 5 on B♭ (the B♭ is a stretch: it sits a ninth above A♭; if it's too wide, play the A♭ with your left hand).
Left hand: 5 on A♭, 3 on C, 2 on E♭, 1 on B♭.

Press every key at exactly the same moment, with the same weight. If one note sounds louder or a fraction late, the chord sounds uneven: play it slowly and listen for one sound.

Where A♭add9 belongs

Like A♭, A♭add9 is the I chord in A♭ major, the IV chord in E♭ major and the V chord in D♭ major.

A♭add9 is A♭ with the ninth, B♭, added on top: the second note of the scale, an octave up. It keeps the major chord's brightness and adds a shimmer.

Hear it in a progression

A♭add9 – E♭ – Fm – D♭: Iadd9 – V – vi – IV, the pop progression with a lift.

Playing it, but it doesn't sound right? Ivory listens to you play and tells you what's off: a note that's missing, a hand that lands late, a chord that's uneven. Then it shows you how it should go.

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Questions people ask

What notes are in the A♭add9 chord?

A♭add9 (A♭ added ninth) is made of A♭, C, E♭ and B♭: the root, major third, fifth and ninth.

How do you play A♭add9 on piano?

With your right hand, use fingers 1 on A♭, 2 on C, 3 on E♭, 5 on B♭ (the B♭ is a stretch: it sits a ninth above A♭; if it's too wide, play the A♭ with your left hand), and press them together. With your left hand: 5 on A♭, 3 on C, 2 on E♭, 1 on B♭.

How is A♭add9 different from the plain chord?