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A♭ major 7th chord on bass (A♭maj7)
Also called or 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.
How it is built
Formula 1, 3, 5, 7
- Root positionA♭–C–E♭–GA♭maj74-6-5-5
- First inversionC–E♭–G–A♭A♭maj7/Cno shape on this instrument
- Second inversionE♭–G–A♭–CA♭maj7/E♭11-11-10-12
- Third inversionG–A♭–C–E♭A♭maj7/G3-3-1-1
How do you play an A♭ major 7th chord on bass?
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.
Full note and interval breakdown
| 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) |
AdvancedThe pinky must reach the 6th fret on the 3rd string while the index stays at the 4th fret, stretching the hand.
A♭maj7/E♭ inversion
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.
Full note and interval breakdown
| 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♭maj7/G inversion · fret 1
A♭ major 7th is played at the 1st fret as 3 3 1 1: ring finger on the E string at fret 3, pinky finger on the A string at fret 3, index finger on the D string at fret 1 and middle finger on the G string at fret 1.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 3 | 3 | G (7) |
| 3 (A) | 3 | 4 | C (3) |
| 2 (D) | 1 | 1 | E♭ (5) |
| 1 (G) | 1 | 2 | A♭ (1) |
A♭maj7/G inversion · fret 13
A♭ major 7th is played at the 13th fret as 15 15 13 13: ring finger on the E string at fret 15, pinky finger on the A string at fret 15, index finger on the D string at fret 13 and middle finger on the G string at fret 13.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 15 | 3 | G (7) |
| 3 (A) | 15 | 4 | C (3) |
| 2 (D) | 13 | 1 | E♭ (5) |
| 1 (G) | 13 | 2 | A♭ (1) |
Why it sounds like that
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.
What goes wrong with A♭ major 7th?
- Letting the pinky mute the 2nd string by lying flat.
- Allowing the index finger to roll off the 4th string.
- Plucking the 1st string too hard and making the G ring out harshly.
When to use it
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.
Changing to and from A♭ major 7th
- Sliding the shape down one fret to the 3rd fret gives G major 7th.
- From A♭ major 7th, move the pinky from the 3rd string 6th fret to the 2nd string 5th fret to play A♭ major.
Which voicing to use
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♭.
Other A♭ chords
Common questions
How is A♭ major 7th written?
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.
What is the hardest part of A♭ major 7th?
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.
How does A♭ major 7th differ from A♭ major?
A♭ major 7th adds the G, the major 7th, to the A♭ major triad. That note creates a more sophisticated, jazzy sound.
Can A♭ major 7th be played in a lower register?
Yes, the A♭maj7/G inversion at the 3rd fret sits lower on the neck. It sounds warmer and is easier to reach.