About the A♭7♯9 chord
The 7♯9 is often called the Hendrix chord after Purple Haze. It contains both a major and a minor third, which gives it a gritty, bluesy bite. The symbol for it is A♭7♯9. (also written G♯7♯9)
How to play A♭7♯9
- Lay your index finger flat across the top 4 strings at fret 1, pressing just behind the fret.
- Put your middle finger on the A string at fret 2.
- Put your ring finger on the high E string at fret 2.
- Put your little finger on the low E string at fret 4.
- Strum all six strings.
1 index · 2 middle · 3 ring · 4 little
Chords in the key of A♭ major
These are the chords built on each note of the A♭ major scale, so they all sound good together with A♭7♯9. The Roman numeral under each one is its position in the key.
Other A♭ chords
A♭7♯9 chord questions
What notes are in a A♭7♯9 chord?
A♭7♯9 is made of A♭, C, E♭, G♭ and B. In intervals that is 1, 3, 5, ♭7, ♯9 above the root, A♭.
What is the easiest way to play A♭7♯9?
The first shape above is the most common one: 4 2 1 1 1 2 from the low E string to the high E, where x means don't play that string and 0 means play it open. It uses a barre, so if that is hard at first, try one of the other shapes.
Is A♭7♯9 a barre chord?
The main shape uses a barre, where one finger holds down several strings at once. Press just behind the fret and roll the finger slightly onto its side.