Violin · Level 7 · Advanced
Ninth chords in A♭ major on Violin
Don’t just read about Ninth chords in A♭ major. Play it.
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Ninth chords stack one more third on top of a seventh chord. They are the lush sound of neo-soul, R&B and modern jazz.
B♭m9
Notes: B♭ · D♭ · F · A♭ · C
E♭9
Notes: E♭ · G · B♭ · D♭ · F
A♭maj9
Notes: A♭ · C · E♭ · G · B♭
HOW TO PRACTISE IT
Six steps to a clean loop.
- Play each chord as an arpeggio, one note at a time: B♭m9, E♭9 and A♭maj9. Press play on the card, then match each note.
- Stay in first position: use the open string where you can and keep the fingers close to the string.
- Set the tempo to 66 BPM and play the progression with one chord per bar. Voice the ninth near the top of the chord so it can be heard.
- Play the chord tones one at a time, one note per beat, with a full, even bow on each.
- Raise the tempo to 88 BPM once you can play the loop three times without stopping.
- Record one take, listen back and check for a rich, wide sound in which no note sticks out.
Listen for
Aim for a rich, wide sound in which no note sticks out. A common mistake is playing every note so loud that the chord gets muddy.
Why it works
On guitar and ukulele the fifth is usually left out of ninth chords to keep the voicing playable.
A♭ major has 4 flats; its relative minor key is F minor.
Questions
What are the chords in ii9–V9–Imaj9 in A♭ major?
In A♭ major the progression is B♭m9 | E♭9 | A♭maj9 | A♭maj9.
What is the key signature of A♭ major?
A♭ major has 4 flats. Its relative minor is F minor.
Is this lesson right for my level?
This is a level 7 lesson (advanced). If it feels too hard, start with “The minor blues”.
Your hands learn faster than your eyes.
Reading a chord chart is step one. Play it to a metronome, record it, and hear yourself get better, all in one app.
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