Chord
A♭ 7 Sharp 9 Chord
Interactive keyboard
Highlighted notes form this chord.
Notes
A♭ · C · E♭ · G♭ · B
Root: A♭
Intervals
1 · 3 · 5 · ♭7 · ♯9
How it is built
This chord starts on A♭ and applies the intervals 1, 3, 5, ♭7, ♯9. The result contains 5 distinct pitch classes per octave.
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Guide and musical context
About A♭ 7 Sharp 9 Chord
A♭ 7 Sharp 9 Chord contains A♭, C, E♭, G♭, B. Its sound is aggressive and ambiguous because the major third coexists with a sharp ninth, enharmonically a minor third.
Character and sound
Aggressive and ambiguous because the major third coexists with a sharp ninth, enharmonically a minor third.
Musical context and history
The sharp-nine dominant is a recognizable color in blues, rock, funk and jazz, where major- and minor-derived tensions coexist.
How and where it is used
It is used for strongly colored dominants and riffs where the third–sharp-nine friction is part of the sound.
In Theory view you can hear the pitch collection without depending on a specific fingering. Then switch to Piano, Guitar, Ukulele or Mandolin to see how the same notes are physically distributed on each instrument.
Harmonic and musical relationships
As a dominant sonority on A♭, a common functional resolution moves toward C♯. Alterations and extensions change the color while preserving that tension-and-resolution reference.
The formula on this page is 1 · 3 · 5 · ♭7 · ♯9 and, from A♭, produces the notes A♭ · C · E♭ · G♭ · B.
Frequently asked questions
What notes are in the A♭ 7 Sharp 9 Chord?
The notes are A♭, C, E♭, G♭, B.
What is its interval formula?
The formula is 1 · 3 · 5 · ♭7 · ♯9.
How does it sound and what is it used for?
Aggressive and ambiguous because the major third coexists with a sharp ninth, enharmonically a minor third. It is used for strongly colored dominants and riffs where the third–sharp-nine friction is part of the sound.
Can I view it on a specific instrument?
Yes. Use the selector near the top to switch between Piano, Guitar, Ukulele and Mandolin without changing the musical combination you are studying.