Ab69

Ab69 is Ab, C, Eb, F and Bb, a six-nine. The shape this page opens on is written x11111, lowest string first.

Also written Ab6/9, Ab6add9 or Ab six nine. The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 7 common shapes for Ab69 on the guitar, and 38 derived voicings in 4 families.

In which keys. Every note of Ab69 belongs to C minor (the ♭VI), C# major (the V), Eb major (the IV), F minor (the ♭III), Ab major (the I) and Bb minor (the ♭VII).

The common shapes, written lowest string first: x11111, 433344, xx6566, x66566, x88898, x-11-8-10-9-8, x-11-10-10-11-11.

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. Ab69 has 4333xx, xx6566, x-11-10-10-11-x.

Drop 2. A close-position chord with the second voice from the top lowered an octave. Sits on four adjacent strings. Ab69 has x1311x, 4333xx, xx6566, x-x-8-10-9-8, x-11-10-10-11-x, x-13-15-13-13-x, xx3314, x3636x.

Drop 3. The third voice from the top lowered an octave. The dropped voice becomes the bass, which is why a string is skipped. Ab69 has x1x111, 4x331x, x3x364, 6x656x, x8x596, x-11-x-10-11-8, 8-x-8-10-9-x, 13-x-10-13-11-x.

Rootless. The root left to the bass player. Frees a finger for a tension. Ab69 has xx1311, x3334x, xx8868, x-x-10-10-11-11, x-x-13-15-13-13, x3x341, xx3546, x6x566.

Tensions. A shell of Ab69, root, third and seventh, leaves a string free, and the tones that belong over it are the #11 (D).

The common shapes and the derived voicings come from different places, and both are explained in where the chords and the theory come from.