Also written A♭5, A♭ or A♭ power chord
A♭ 5th contains A♭ and E♭, the root and perfect fifth. This shape moves the G 5th pattern up one fret, adding a flat to both notes.
The same three notes, with a different one in the bass.
A♭ 5th is built from the 1 and 5 of the A♭ major scale, leaving out the third. The perfect fifth between A♭ and E♭ gives the chord its open, neutral sound. Compare A♭ major, which adds the major third C for a fuller harmony.
A♭ 5th works as the tonic in A♭ major progressions like A♭–D♭–E♭–A♭, the I–IV–V–I. It also appears in A♭ major and B♭ minor contexts. Use it for driving rock or punk bass lines where the root-fifth punch cuts through.
The 4th fret position keeps A♭ as the lowest note for a solid foundation. The 11th fret position uses the same shape an octave higher for brighter fills. The A♭5/D♯ inversion at the 11th fret puts E♭ in the bass, which softens the root emphasis.
A♭ 5th is played at the 4th fret as 4 6 6 ×: index finger on the E string at fret 4, middle finger on the A string at fret 6 and ring finger on the D string at fret 6. The G string stays muted.
Tip — The index finger must hold the low E at the 4th fret while the middle and ring fingers stretch to the 6th fret on adjacent strings.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 4 | 1 | A♭ (1) |
| 3 (A) | 6 | 2 | E♭ (5) |
| 2 (D) | 6 | 3 | A♭ (1) |
| 1 (G) | muted | — | — |
A♭ 5th is played at the 11th fret as × 11 13 13: index finger on the A string at fret 11, middle finger on the D string at fret 13 and ring finger on the G string at fret 13. The E string stays muted.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 3 (A) | 11 | 1 | A♭ (1) |
| 2 (D) | 13 | 2 | E♭ (5) |
| 1 (G) | 13 | 3 | A♭ (1) |
A♭ 5th is played at the 11th fret as 11 11 13 13: index finger on the E string at fret 11, middle finger on the A string at fret 11, ring finger on the D string at fret 13 and pinky finger on the G string at fret 13.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 11 | 1 | E♭ (5) |
| 3 (A) | 11 | 2 | A♭ (1) |
| 2 (D) | 13 | 3 | E♭ (5) |
| 1 (G) | 13 | 4 | A♭ (1) |
A♭ 5th is written as A♭ or A♭5. On a keyboard, use Ab as the ASCII root. It is also spelled G♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
A♭ major includes the major third C, giving it a full major sound. A♭ 5th omits the third, so it works over both major and minor contexts.
Without a third, A♭ 5th has no major or minor quality. The perfect fifth interval is consonant and stable, making it versatile for many bass lines.