A♭ dominant 9th chord on piano
A♭9 is a dominant 9th chord built on A♭. It uses the notes A♭ - C - E♭ - G♭ - B♭ and sounds rich and funky, a staple of funk, gospel and jazz. It is also written as G♯ dominant 9th.
- Notes
- A♭ C E♭ G♭ B♭
- Formula
- 1 - 3 - 5 - ♭7 - 9
- Right hand fingering
- 1 - 2 - 3 - 5 on the upper four notes
- Left hand fingering
- 5 on the root
- Chord symbol
- A♭9
How to play A♭9 step by step
- Find A♭. A♭ is the middle black key in each group of three. The same key is also called G♯.
- Add C, 4 half steps above A♭.
- Add E♭, 7 half steps above A♭.
- Add G♭, 10 half steps above A♭.
- Add B♭, 14 half steps above A♭.
- Press all 5 keys together with fingers 1 - 2 - 3 - 5 on the upper four notes of your right hand. Keep your wrist level and let the weight of your arm do the work.
Frequently asked questions
What notes are in the A♭ dominant 9th chord?
The A♭ dominant 9th chord (A♭9) contains 5 notes: A♭, C, E♭, G♭, B♭. Its formula is 1 - 3 - 5 - ♭7 - 9.
How do you play A♭9 on piano?
Play the root A♭ alone with your left hand, then play C, E♭, G♭, B♭ with your right hand. That spreads the five notes comfortably across both hands.
Is A♭ dominant 9th the same as G♯ dominant 9th?
Yes. A♭ dominant 9th and G♯ dominant 9th use exactly the same piano keys. The name you see depends on the key signature of the piece.