A♭9
A♭ Dominant 9th
1 3 5 ♭7 9

Notes in A♭9

A♭R
C3
E♭5
F♯♭7
B♭9

The A♭9 chord contains 5 notes: A♭, C, E♭, F♯, B♭

Intervals

IntervalSemitonesNoteFunction
R0A♭Root
34CMajor 3rd
57E♭Perfect 5th
♭710F♯Minor 7th
92B♭Major 9th

About A♭ Dominant 9th Chords

Dominant 9th chords extend the dominant 7th with a 9th, adding richness to blues and funk progressions. James Brown's rhythm guitar was built on 9th chord stabs. They have more color than a plain 7th but stay firmly in dominant territory.

Compatible Scales & Modes

These scales contain all the notes of A♭9 and can be used for soloing, improvising, and writing melodies over this chord.

A♭ Mixolydian
Contains all the chord tones. The standard scale for dominant 9th chords.
A♭ Blues Scale
Adds grit and attitude over dominant 9th voicings — essential for blues and funk.

📚 Guitar Resources

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