As the tonic (I)G♭ major
Home. The loop leaves G♭add9 and keeps coming back to it.
G♭add9 Chord: Guitar, Piano and Notes
The G♭add9 chord is a added ninth chord built on the root note G♭. Its notes are G♭, B♭, D♭ and A♭. It's enharmonically the same chord as F♯add9.
Transpose
Quality
Short answer
Added ninth chords are open and shimmering. Unlike a ninth chord they leave the seventh out, so the added second degree colours the triad without any of the tension a dominant brings, a favourite of pop and worship guitarists.
- Notes
- G♭ · B♭ · D♭ · A♭
- Formula
- 1 · 3 · 5 · 9
- Semitones
- 0 · 4 · 7 · 14
- Note
- G♭
- Quality
- Added 9
- Symbol
- G♭add9
G♭add9 on piano
4 notesView:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
To play G♭add9 on piano, place your right hand with your thumb on G♭, index finger on B♭, middle finger on D♭ and little finger on A♭. Press the keys together and listen for an even sound. On the keyboard every note of G♭add9 is a black key. The thumb starts on a black key, so slide the whole hand a little further in, towards the fallboard. Practice moving in and out of the chord slowly, then bring in a metronome.
- G♭1
- B♭3
- D♭5
- A♭9
G♭add9 on guitar
View:
Switch to the interactive diagram to hear the chord, change voicing and swap finger numbers for note names.
On guitar, G♭add9 is commonly played with the voicing shown above. This one is a barre at fret 1: keep the index finger flat across the strings and curve the others so they don't mute the strings next to them.
G♭ · B♭ · D♭ · A♭
Play G♭add9 on the online piano
Free, in your browser: play with the mouse, your computer keyboard or a USB MIDI keyboard. No sign-up.
G♭add9 chord notes
Also known as F♯add9
| Degree | Interval | Semitones | Note | Hear |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root | 0 | G♭(Gb) | |
| 3 | Major third | 4 | B♭(Bb) | |
| 5 | Perfect fifth | 7 | D♭(Db) | |
| 9 | Major ninth | 14 | A♭(Ab) |
How to use the G♭add9 chord
The G♭add9 chord is built from a root, a major third, a perfect fifth and a major ninth. Start at the root G♭ and stack the intervals to get the whole chord: G♭, B♭, D♭ and A♭. The same formula gives you the chord in any other key.
Added ninth chords replace plain major chords when a part needs air, especially in fingerpicked guitar and piano pads. They are everywhere in pop ballads, worship music and indie rock.
How G♭add9 differs from similar chords
G♭add9 adds a ninth to G♭ and leaves the seventh out, which is exactly what separates it from G♭9 and G♭maj9. Unlike G♭sus2, it keeps the major third, so it stays clearly major. The ninth is the same note as the second, only an octave higher.
Where G♭add9 is used
A major chord is at home as a tonic, and just as useful as the IV or the V of a neighbouring key. Each progression below is written in the key its numerals name.
Questions people ask
- What notes are in the G♭add9 chord?
- The G♭add9 chord contains G♭, B♭, D♭ and A♭ (Gb, Bb, Db and Ab in plain text).
- Is the G♭add9 chord major or minor?
- G♭add9 is a added ninth chord. Added ninth chords are open and shimmering. Unlike a ninth chord they leave the seventh out, so the added second degree colours the triad without any of the tension a dominant brings, a favourite of pop and worship guitarists.
- How do you play G♭add9 on piano?
- Place your fingers on G♭, B♭, D♭ and A♭ and play them together. The root usually goes to the little finger of the left hand, the upper notes to the right. On the keyboard every note of G♭add9 is a black key. The thumb starts on a black key, so slide the whole hand a little further in, towards the fallboard.
- How do you play G♭add9 on guitar?
- Use the fingering in the diagram above. This one is a barre at fret 1: keep the index finger flat across the strings and curve the others so they don't mute the strings next to them.
- What is another name for the G♭add9 chord?
- G♭add9 is enharmonically equivalent to F♯add9. Both chord names describe exactly the same notes, but the spelling depends on the key you are playing in.