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A♭ 7th flat 5 chord on bass (A♭7♭5)
Also called or written A♭7♭5, A♭, A♭ Dominant 7th Flat 5 or A♭ 7th ♭5
A♭ 7th flat 5 contains A♭, C, E♭♭ and G♭. The 4th-fret shape is low on the neck, where the frets are wider and the stretch is more demanding.
How it is built
Formula 1, 3, ♭5, ♭7
- Root positionA♭–C–E♭♭–G♭A♭7♭54-5-4-5
- First inversionC–E♭♭–G♭–A♭A♭7♭5/Cno shape on this instrument
- Second inversionE♭♭–G♭–A♭–CA♭7♭5/E♭♭10-11-10-11
- Third inversionG♭–A♭–C–E♭♭A♭7♭5/G♭2-3-0-1
How do you play an A♭ 7th flat 5 chord on bass?
A♭ 7th flat 5 is played at the 4th fret as 4 5 4 5: index finger on the E string at fret 4, ring finger on the A string at fret 5, middle finger on the D string at fret 4 and pinky finger on the G string at fret 5.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 4 | 1 | A♭ (1) |
| 3 (A) | 5 | 3 | E♭♭ (♭5) |
| 2 (D) | 4 | 2 | G♭ (♭7) |
| 1 (G) | 5 | 4 | C (3) |
AdvancedThe 4th-fret shape requires the pinky to reach fret 5 on the 1st string while the index holds fret 4 on the 4th string, stretching the left hand.
A♭7♭5/E♭♭ inversion
A♭ 7th flat 5 is played at the 10th fret as 10 11 10 11: index finger on the E string at fret 10, ring finger on the A string at fret 11, middle finger on the D string at fret 10 and pinky finger on the G string at fret 11.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 10 | 1 | E♭♭ (♭5) |
| 3 (A) | 11 | 3 | A♭ (1) |
| 2 (D) | 10 | 2 | C (3) |
| 1 (G) | 11 | 4 | G♭ (♭7) |
A♭7♭5/G♭ inversion
A♭ 7th flat 5 is played in open position as 2 3 0 1: middle finger on the E string at fret 2, ring finger on the A string at fret 3 and index finger on the G string at fret 1. The D string rings open.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 2 | 2 | G♭ (♭7) |
| 3 (A) | 3 | 3 | C (3) |
| 2 (D) | open | — | E♭♭ (♭5) |
| 1 (G) | 1 | 1 | A♭ (1) |
Why it sounds like that
A♭ 7th flat 5 is built from the formula 1, 3, ♭5, ♭7. The diminished 5th between A♭ and E♭♭ defines its unstable quality. Compare it with A♭ 7th, which has a perfect 5th.
What goes wrong with A♭ 7th flat 5?
- Letting the pinky collapse on the 1st string, which mutes the G♭ at fret 5.
- Pressing the ring finger too flat on the 3rd string, so it deadens the 2nd string next to it.
- Striking the open 5th string, which is not part of the chord and adds an unwanted A♭.
When to use it
Use the supplied linked chords to hear its tension without adding unsupported harmony. It can substitute for A♭ 7th when the ♭5 is needed. Its tense sound fits bebop and fusion lines.
Changing to and from A♭ 7th flat 5
- Move to F♯ 7th flat 5 by sliding the shape down two frets to the 2nd fret.
- Move to A 7th flat 5 by sliding the shape up one fret to the 5th fret.
Which voicing to use
The 4th-fret shape keeps A♭ in the bass for a root-position sound. The A♭7♭5/D inversion at fret 10 puts the ♭5 in the bass, and the A♭7♭5/F♯ inversion at fret 2 puts the ♭7 in the bass, creating a darker, less stable feel.
Other A♭ chords
Common questions
How is A♭ 7th flat 5 written?
A♭ 7th flat 5 is written A♭7♭5 or Ab7♭5. The symbol A♭ is also used, and the chord is sometimes called Dominant 7th Flat 5. It is also spelled G♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
What is the difference between A♭7♭5 and A♭7?
A♭7♭5 has a diminished 5th (E♭♭) instead of the perfect 5th (E♭) in A♭7. That one note changes the chord from bluesy to tense and unresolved.
Can A♭7♭5 be used in place of A♭7?
A♭7♭5 can replace A♭7 when the melody or solo uses the ♭5. In a standard blues, the ♭5 may clash with the expected perfect 5th, so use it selectively.