How do you play the Ab 5(add9)/C chord?

To play the Ab 5(add9)/C chord on piano, play the Ab 5(add9) chord (Ab, Eb and Bb) with C as the lowest bass note. Place the C note below the other chord tones. Slash chords specify a particular bass note different from the chord root.

What is a slash chord?

A slash chord (or compound chord) is written as Chord/Bass and specifies both a chord and a bass note. The note to the right of the slash is played as the lowest note. The Ab 5(add9)/C chord means a Ab 5(add9) chord with C in the bass.

Ab 5(add9)/C

Q: What notes are in the Ab 5(add9)/C chord?

The Ab 5(add9)/C chord uses the 3 notes of the Ab 5(add9) chord — Ab (Perfect unison), Eb (Perfect fifth) and Bb (Major ninth) — with C played as the bass note in the lowest register.

The Ab 5(add9) chord consists of the Ab (Perfect unison), Eb (Perfect fifth) and Bb (Major ninth) notes, with C as the bass note.

Piano keyboard showing the notes for a Ab 5(add9)/C chord

How to play the Ab 5(add9)/C chord

Play C as the lowest bass note in the left hand
Find Ab (Root) on the piano keyboard
Add Eb (Perfect fifth) — 7 semitones above Ab
Add Bb (Major ninth) — 14 semitones above Ab
Press all 4 notes simultaneously to sound the Ab 5(add9)/C chord

Inversions with same root

C m7(#5)
C m7(alt)

Related chords with different root

Ab add2
Ab add9

Related slash chords

Eb sus4/C
Ab sus2/C
Bb 11(sus4)/C