Guitar chords · Major
A♭ chord on guitar (Ab)
A♭ (A♭ major) has three notes: A♭, C and E♭, the The note a chord is named after and built up from. C is the root of C, Cm and C7., 3 and 5.
Shapes
How to play A♭
Strum a shape to hear it, or pick it one string at a time. R marks the The note a chord is named after and built up from. C is the root of C, Cm and C7.; the other numbers are the chord tones.
A♭ has no common A chord played near the nut that uses some unfretted strings, such as the open G, C or Em.. Play it as the E shape at The metal strips across the neck, and the spaces between them. Each fret raises a string by one half step. 4 or the A shape at fret 11. A A chord or scale fingering with no open strings. Slide it up or down the neck and it changes its root but not its type: a major shape stays major. keeps its fingering anywhere on the neck: slide it up or down and the The note a chord is named after and built up from. C is the root of C, Cm and C7., on the lowest played string, names the chord.
E shape · fret 4
A shape · fret 11
Notes and formula
What makes A♭ major
A major chord stacks a major 3rd and a perfect 5th on the The note a chord is named after and built up from. C is the root of C, Cm and C7.. It is the bright, settled sound most songs start and end on.
- 1Root: the note the chord is named after. Keep it.
- 3Essential: makes the chord what it is. Never drop it.
- 5Optional: drop it first when you run out of fingers.
The 3rd makes A♭ a major chord; you can leave out the 5th.
- A♭Rroot
- C3essential
- E♭5optional
- A♭, the root
- Other chord tones
A♭ and G♯ are the same chord with two names: same The metal strips across the neck, and the spaces between them. Each fret raises a string by one half step., same sound. Which one you see depends on the key the song is written in.
Keys
Keys with A♭
A♭ belongs to seven keys: D♭ major (V), A♭ major (I), E♭ major (IV), C♯ minor (V, spelled G♯, The natural minor scale with its 7th raised a half step, which makes the V chord major and gives it a strong pull home.), B♭ minor (VII), F minor (III) and C minor (VI).
- VD♭ major
- IA♭ major
- IVE♭ major
- VC♯ minorSpelled G♯ in this keyFrom the harmonic minor
- VIIB♭ minor
- IIIF minor
- VIC minor
Numerals follow the key's own scale, so III, VI and VII in a minor key are its own major chords. A ♭ or ♯ in front marks a chord from outside the key. How Roman numerals work
Progressions
Progressions with A♭
Common progressions that use A♭, each in a key that spells it A♭. The outlined chord is A♭.
The pop axis in A♭ major
I – V – vi – IV
- A♭
- E♭
- Fm
- D♭
Four chords that carry a huge share of modern pop. All four sit next to each other on the circle.
Heard in Let It Be, No Woman No Cry, With or Without You
Three-chord rock in A♭ major
I – IV – V – IV
- A♭
- D♭
- E♭
- D♭
Tonic, subdominant, dominant: the key and its two neighbours on the outer ring.
Heard in La Bamba, Twist and Shout, Wild Thing
'50s doo-wop in A♭ major
I – vi – IV – V
- A♭
- Fm
- D♭
- E♭
The vi chord softens the move from I to IV before the V pulls back home.
Heard in Stand by Me, Every Breath You Take
Minor pop in C minor
i – VI – III – VII
- Cm
- A♭
- E♭
- B♭
The pop axis rotated to start on the relative minor — same four chords, darker centre.
Heard in Zombie, Numb, Despacito
Andalusian cadence in C minor
i – VII – VI – V
- Cm
- B♭
- A♭
- G
A stepwise walk down to a major V borrowed from harmonic minor. Flamenco's signature move.
Heard in Hit the Road Jack, Runaway, Stray Cat Strut
Slash chords
A♭ over another bass note
A A chord with a different note in the bass, written after a slash: C/E is a C chord with E as its lowest note. The letter after the slash is the bass. keeps A♭ on top and puts another note in the bass: the letter after the slash is the lowest note you play.
- A♭/C
A♭ with its 3rd, C, in the bass: the first inversion.
- A♭/E♭
A♭ with its 5th, E♭, in the bass: the second inversion.
- A♭/G
A♭ over G, a passing bass a The smallest distance in Western music: one fret on the guitar, such as E to F or F to F♯. below the The note a chord is named after and built up from. C is the root of C, Cm and C7., as in A♭, A♭/G, Fm.
- A♭/G♭
A♭ over G♭, a passing bass a Two half steps, or two frets on the guitar, such as C to D. below the The note a chord is named after and built up from. C is the root of C, Cm and C7., as in A♭, A♭/G♭, D♭.
Same root
Other chords on G♯ / A♭
Change one or two notes and the same The note a chord is named after and built up from. C is the root of C, Cm and C7. gives a different colour. Compare them by ear.
- G♯m minor
- A♭7 dominant 7th
- A♭maj7 major 7th
- G♯m7 minor 7th
- A♭sus2 suspended 2nd
- A♭sus4 suspended 4th
- A♭6 major 6th
- G♯m6 minor 6th
- A♭add9 add 9
- A♭9 dominant 9th
- A♭maj9 major 9th
- G♯m9 minor 9th
- A♭13 dominant 13th
- A♭maj13 major 13th
- G♯m11 minor 11th
- G♯° diminished
- G♯m7♭5 half-diminished 7th
- G♯°7 diminished 7th
- A♭+ augmented
- A♭5 power chord
- A♭7sus4 dominant 7th suspended 4th
- G♯m(maj7) minor major 7th
- A♭6/9 six-nine
- G♯m(add9) minor add 9
- A♭7♯9 dominant 7th sharp 9th
Questions
A♭, in short
- What notes are in the A♭ chord?
- A♭ (A♭ major) has three notes: A♭, C and E♭, the The note a chord is named after and built up from. C is the root of C, Cm and C7., 3 and 5.
- How do you play A♭ on guitar?
- A♭ has no common A chord played near the nut that uses some unfretted strings, such as the open G, C or Em.. Play it as the E shape at The metal strips across the neck, and the spaces between them. Each fret raises a string by one half step. 4 or the A shape at fret 11.
- What key is A♭ in?
- A♭ belongs to seven keys: D♭ major (V), A♭ major (I), E♭ major (IV), C♯ minor (V, spelled G♯, The natural minor scale with its 7th raised a half step, which makes the V chord major and gives it a strong pull home.), B♭ minor (VII), F minor (III) and C minor (VI).
- Is A♭ the same as G♯?
- Yes: same frets, same sound, different name. A♭ is the spelling in D♭ major, A♭ major, E♭ major, B♭ minor, F minor and C minor; G♯ only in C♯ major, C♯ minor and A♯ minor.