Abmmaj9

AbmMaj9 is Ab, Cb, Eb, G and Bb, a minor major ninth. The shape this page opens on is written 42x343, lowest string first.

Also written AbmM9, Abm(maj9) or Ab-Δ9. The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 7 common shapes for AbmMaj9 on the guitar, and 31 derived voicings in 5 families.

The common shapes, written lowest string first: 42x343, 4x5304, 4253xx, 465446, 666887, x-11-9-12-11-x, 11-14-13-12-11-11.

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. AbmMaj9 has 4253xx, xx6486, x-11-9-12-11-x.

Drop 2. A close-position chord with the second voice from the top lowered an octave. Sits on four adjacent strings. AbmMaj9 has xx5304, x1510x, 4253xx, xx6486, x-11-9-12-11-x, 7-11-8-12-x-x, x-x-8-12-9-7.

Drop 3. The third voice from the top lowered an octave. The dropped voice becomes the bass, which is why a string is skipped. AbmMaj9 has x1x103, 4x530x, 6x648x, x-13-x-13-12-15, x-11-x-12-11-7, 7-x-8-12-9-x.

Rootless. The root left to the bass player. Frees a finger for a tension. AbmMaj9 has x1100x, xx1303, xx5446, xx8887, x-13-13-12-12-x, x2534x, x2x343, x6x486.

Open string. An open string left ringing against a fretted grip. Because it costs no finger, it sounds a note the closed shape has none left for -- a tension on top, or a pedal root underneath. Either a familiar grip with open strings added, or a shape so sparse the open strings carry the chord. These belong to their key rather than to a shape, so D, A, G and E have many and Eb a handful. AbmMaj9 has 6x600x.

Tensions. A shell of AbmMaj9, root, third and seventh, leaves a string free, and the tones that belong over it are the 11 (Db) and the 13 (F).

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