Explore chords · Bass
A♭ 6th chord on bass (A♭6)
Also called or written A♭6 or A♭
A♭ 6th is built from A♭, C, E♭, and F. The default voicing places C in the bass and requires a wide stretch across four frets.
How it is built
Formula 1, 3, 5, 6
- Root positionA♭–C–E♭–FA♭6no shape on this instrument
- First inversionC–E♭–F–A♭A♭6/C8-8-6-8
- Second inversionE♭–F–A♭–CA♭6/E♭11-11-10-10
- Third inversionF–A♭–C–E♭A♭6/F1-3-1-1
How do you play an A♭ 6th chord on bass?
A♭ 6th is played at the 6th fret as 8 8 6 8: middle finger on the E string at fret 8, ring finger on the A string at fret 8, index finger on the D string at fret 6 and pinky finger on the G string at fret 8.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 8 | 2 | C (3) |
| 3 (A) | 8 | 3 | F (6) |
| 2 (D) | 6 | 1 | A♭ (1) |
| 1 (G) | 8 | 4 | E♭ (5) |
AdvancedThe wide stretch from the 6th fret on the D string to the 8th fret on the G string is hard to hold cleanly.
A♭6/E♭ inversion
A♭ 6th is played at the 10th fret as 11 11 10 10: ring finger on the E string at fret 11, pinky finger on the A string at fret 11, index finger on the D string at fret 10 and middle finger on the G string at fret 10.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 11 | 3 | E♭ (5) |
| 3 (A) | 11 | 4 | A♭ (1) |
| 2 (D) | 10 | 1 | C (3) |
| 1 (G) | 10 | 2 | F (6) |
A♭6/F inversion · fret 1
A♭ 6th is played at the 1st fret as 1 3 1 1: index finger on the E string at fret 1, pinky finger on the A string at fret 3, middle finger on the D string at fret 1 and ring finger on the G string at fret 1.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 1 | 1 | F (6) |
| 3 (A) | 3 | 4 | C (3) |
| 2 (D) | 1 | 2 | E♭ (5) |
| 1 (G) | 1 | 3 | A♭ (1) |
A♭6/F inversion · fret 13
A♭ 6th is played at the 13th fret as 13 15 13 13: index finger on the E string at fret 13, pinky finger on the A string at fret 15, middle finger on the D string at fret 13 and ring finger on the G string at fret 13.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 13 | 1 | F (6) |
| 3 (A) | 15 | 4 | C (3) |
| 2 (D) | 13 | 2 | E♭ (5) |
| 1 (G) | 13 | 3 | A♭ (1) |
Why it sounds like that
A♭ 6th is a major triad with an added major 6th: 1, 3, 5, 6. The major 6th from A♭ to F gives the chord its warm, open colour. Compare it to A♭ major, which omits the 6th and sounds plainer.
What goes wrong with A♭ 6th?
- Letting the index finger collapse onto the A string, which mutes the C.
- Pressing the pinky too far from the fret, causing the F to buzz.
- Strumming the open E string, which is not part of A♭ 6th.
When to use it
A♭ 6th works as the tonic in A♭ major, especially in the I–IV–V–I progression A♭–D♭–E♭–A♭. A♭ 6th suits bright pop, country, and swing lines where the added 6th softens the major sound. Try A♭ 6th over A♭ major or A♭ 5th.
Changing to and from A♭ 6th
- Sliding the shape down two frets to the 6th fret gives F♯ 6th.
- Move to D♭ major by shifting the index finger to the 4th fret on the A string while keeping the other fingers in place.
Which voicing to use
The A♭6/C inversion puts the third in the bass, giving a smooth, melodic start. The A♭6/E♭ inversion has the fifth in the bass and sounds more grounded, while the A♭6/F inversion places the sixth in the bass for a lighter colour.
Other A♭ chords
Common questions
How is A♭ 6th written?
A♭ 6th is written as A♭6 or Ab6. The root is A♭, with ASCII Ab. It is also spelled G♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
What is the difference between A♭ 6th and A♭ major 7th?
A♭ 6th contains the major 6th F, while A♭ major 7th contains the major 7th G. The 6th gives a warmer, less dissonant sound than the 7th.
Can A♭ 6th be used in a minor key?
A♭ 6th is diatonic to B♭ natural minor and F natural minor, where it acts as the subtonic or mediant. Its major quality can add brightness to minor progressions.