Also written A♭maj7 or A♭M7
A♭ major 7th contains A♭, C, E♭, and G. The 4th-fret shape demands a wide pinky stretch across four frets.
The same three notes, with a different one in the bass.
A♭ major 7th is built from the 1, 3, 5, and 7 of the A♭ major scale. The major 7th interval from A♭ to G gives the chord its bright, resolved quality. Compare it to A♭ major, which omits the G and sounds more plain.
A♭ major 7th is the I chord in A♭ major, as in A♭–D♭–E♭–A♭, the I–IV–V–I. It works for jazz fusion, progressive rock, and atmospheric pop. Use it over A♭ major or A♭ 5th.
The 4th-fret shape places A♭ in the bass for a strong root position. The A♭maj7/E♭ inversion at the 11th fret has E♭ in the bass, giving a lighter feel. The A♭maj7/G inversion at the 3rd fret puts the leading tone G in the bass, creating tension that resolves to A♭.
A♭ major 7th is played at the 4th fret as 4 6 5 5: index finger on the E string at fret 4, pinky finger on the A string at fret 6, middle finger on the D string at fret 5 and ring finger on the G string at fret 5.
Tip — The pinky must reach the 6th fret on the 3rd string while the index stays at the 4th fret, stretching the hand.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 4 | 1 | A♭ (1) |
| 3 (A) | 6 | 4 | E♭ (5) |
| 2 (D) | 5 | 2 | G (7) |
| 1 (G) | 5 | 3 | C (3) |
A♭ major 7th is played at the 10th fret as 11 11 10 12: middle finger on the E string at fret 11, ring finger on the A string at fret 11, index finger on the D string at fret 10 and pinky finger on the G string at fret 12.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 11 | 2 | E♭ (5) |
| 3 (A) | 11 | 3 | A♭ (1) |
| 2 (D) | 10 | 1 | C (3) |
| 1 (G) | 12 | 4 | G (7) |
A♭ major 7th is played at the 1st fret as 3 3 1 1: barre your index finger across fret 1, middle finger on the E string at fret 3 and ring finger on the A string at fret 3.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 3 | 2 | G (7) |
| 3 (A) | 3 | 3 | C (3) |
| 2 (D) | 1 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (5) |
| 1 (G) | 1 | 1 (barre) | A♭ (1) |
A♭ major 7th is played at the 13th fret as 15 15 13 13: barre your index finger across fret 13, middle finger on the E string at fret 15 and ring finger on the A string at fret 15.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 15 | 2 | G (7) |
| 3 (A) | 15 | 3 | C (3) |
| 2 (D) | 13 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (5) |
| 1 (G) | 13 | 1 (barre) | A♭ (1) |
A♭ major 7th is written A♭M7 or A♭maj7. The ASCII root spelling is Ab. It is also spelled G♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
The hardest part is stretching the pinky to the 6th fret while keeping the index on the 4th fret. Practice the stretch slowly to build flexibility.
A♭ major 7th adds the G, the major 7th, to the A♭ major triad. That note creates a more sophisticated, jazzy sound.
Yes, the A♭maj7/G inversion at the 3rd fret sits lower on the neck. It sounds warmer and is easier to reach.