Ukulele · add9
A♭add9 Chord on Ukulele
Ab Add 9 is Ab, C, Eb, Bb — the 1-3-5-9 pattern of a add9 chord. Here is the shape, the audio, and what usually goes wrong.
There is no open Abadd9 on ukulele. The one shape below sits up the neck and is rated intermediate.
Start here — Movable Add9 Shape (11th fret)
Sits at fret 11 — tighter and brighter than the low shapes, and high enough to keep out of the way of anyone playing the open version underneath.
What beginners get wrong
Moving in and out of it
The shape above: Movable Add9 Shape (11th fret).
Listening: each shape above has its own play button, and each one plays the notes that shape actually produces — not a generic triad.
Abadd9 on other instruments
Same notes, different hands. Every link below is a real page with diagrams and audio.
Chords next door
Same root, different colour — and all of them playable on ukulele.
Abadd9 on Ukulele — questions people ask
What is the easiest way to play Abadd9 on ukulele?
“Movable Add9 Shape (11th fret)” — which we rate intermediate — is the easiest Abadd9 shape on ukulele. Sits at fret 11 — tighter and brighter than the low shapes, and high enough to keep out of the way of anyone playing the open version underneath. There is no open Abadd9 on ukulele, so a barre is unavoidable; this is the least demanding one.
What notes are in the Ab Add 9 chord?
Ab Add 9 is Ab, C, Eb, Bb — the 1-3-5-9 interval pattern of a add9 chord. Every voicing on this page uses those notes and nothing else; they just appear in a different order and octave.
What can I play instead of Abadd9?
The nearest stand-ins on ukulele that keep the same root are Ab5, Absus4, Absus2. They keep the root and the fifth and only change what sits in the middle, so most songs still work — but check the swap against the melody, because the note you removed may be the one the tune is singing.
Can I play Abadd9 on other instruments?
Yes. Abadd9 is the same set of notes everywhere; only the fingering changes. This site has diagrams and audio for it on guitar, piano, mandolin.
Learn the theory behind Abadd9
The shape gets your fingers there. These explain why it sounds the way it does.
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