A Minor-Major 9th Chord
A Minor-Major 9th is built from the notes A, B, C, E, A♭. The interval from A to B is a major 2nd (2 semitones), from A to C is a minor 3rd (3 semitones), from A to E is a perfect 5th (7 semitones), from A to A♭ is a major 7th (11 semitones). This chord contains 1 flatted note.
The minor-major 9th combines the dark tension of a minor-major 7th with the added color of a 9th. It's exotic, cinematic, and rare — the kind of chord that makes a listener stop and pay attention.
Built from R, ♭3, 5, 7, 9, this chord takes the already-tense minor-major 7th (with its clashing ♭3 and natural 7) and adds a major 9th. The 9th slightly softens the harshness of the m(maj7), giving it a more complex, nuanced character. It belongs to the harmonic minor and melodic minor families.
A rare voicing that works best as a 4-note shape with the 5th omitted. Start from a minor-major 7th shape and add the 9th, or modify an m9 shape by raising the ♭7 to a natural 7. Best used sparingly in jazz ballads, film-score passages, or chromatic line cliches.