Iadd9–V in A♭ Major

Pattern: Iadd9 – V Chords: Abadd9 – E♭

Chord Breakdown

Numeral	Chord	Type	Function
Iadd9	Abadd9 (details)	add9	Tonic
V	E♭ (details)	major	Dominant

Harmonic Analysis

This progression moves through Abadd9 (Tonic) → E♭ (Dominant).

The Iadd9–V progression pairs the bright, open add9 tonic with the dominant chord, creating a simple two-chord motion with more color than a plain I–V. The ninth adds warmth and depth to the tonic without introducing seventh-chord complexity, making it ideal for singer-songwriter ballads and pop choruses where emotional directness is key.

Song Examples

Right Here Waiting — Richard Marx
More Than Words — Extreme
Hallelujah — Leonard Cohen

Chord Details

Abadd9 E♭

More Progressions in A♭ Major

I–IV–V–I I–V–vi–IV I–vi–IV–V ii–V–I I–IV–V I–♭VII–IV vi–IV–I–V I–V–vi–iii–IV–I–IV–V I–IV I–V IV–V IV–I

Related Progressions

I–V Iadd9–IVadd9 I–V–vi–IV