Bbaug9

Bbaug9 is Bb, D, F#, Ab and C, a augmented ninth. The shape this page opens on is written x10112, lowest string first.

Also written Bb9#5, Bb+9 or Bb9(#5). The same chord either way; which spelling you meet depends on who wrote the chart.

There are 7 common shapes for Bbaug9 on the guitar, and 23 derived voicings in 3 families.

The common shapes, written lowest string first: x10112, 434334, 65657x, 6x6778, xx6778, 10-11-10-11-11-10, x-13-12-13-13-14.

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. Bbaug9 has x1011x, 6565xx, xx8798, x-13-12-13-13-x, x1x132, 6x677x, x-13-x-13-15-14, 6x011x.

Rootless. The root left to the bass player. Frees a finger for a tension. Bbaug9 has xx0112, xx4534, x5657x, xx6778, x-x-10-11-9-10, x-11-12-11-13-x, x-x-12-13-13-14, x3413x.

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. Bbaug9 has x56570.

Tensions. A shell of Bbaug9, root, third and seventh, leaves a string free, and the tones that belong over it are the #11 (E).

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