Also written A♭, A♭maj or A♭M
A♭ major contains the notes A♭, C, and E♭. This intermediate shape stretches the fretting hand across four frets, making clean note separation the main challenge.
The same three notes, with a different one in the bass.
A♭ major is built from the formula 1, 3, 5: root A♭, major third C, and perfect fifth E♭. The major third, four semitones above the root, gives the chord its bright, stable quality. Lower that third by one semitone to C♭ and you get A♭ minor, the parallel minor with a darker sound.
A♭ major appears as the I chord in the I–IV–V–I progression A♭–D♭–E♭–A♭ in A♭ major. It also works as the IV chord in E♭ major and the V chord in D♭ major. Use A♭ major for horn-friendly keys in jazz, funk, and R&B bass lines.
The 4th fret voicing puts the root A♭ in the bass, giving a solid, grounded sound. For a lighter feel, use the A♭/C inversion, which places the third in the bass and adds forward motion. The A♭/E♭ inversion with the fifth in the bass works well when you want a less assertive low end.
A♭ major is played at the 4th fret as 4 6 6 5: index finger on the E string at fret 4, ring finger on the A string at fret 6, pinky finger on the D string at fret 6 and middle finger on the G string at fret 5.
Tip — The stretch from the index finger on the 4th fret to the pinky on the 6th fret requires wide finger independence.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 4 | 1 | A♭ (1) |
| 3 (A) | 6 | 3 | E♭ (5) |
| 2 (D) | 6 | 4 | A♭ (1) |
| 1 (G) | 5 | 2 | C (3) |
A♭ major is played at the 6th fret as 8 6 6 8: ring finger on the E string at fret 8, index finger on the A string at fret 6, middle finger on the D string at fret 6 and pinky finger on the G string at fret 8.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 8 | 3 | C (3) |
| 3 (A) | 6 | 1 | E♭ (5) |
| 2 (D) | 6 | 2 | A♭ (1) |
| 1 (G) | 8 | 4 | E♭ (5) |
A♭ major is played at the 5th fret as × 6 6 5: middle finger on the A string at fret 6, ring finger on the D string at fret 6 and index finger on the G string at fret 5. The E string stays muted.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 3 (A) | 6 | 2 | E♭ (5) |
| 2 (D) | 6 | 3 | A♭ (1) |
| 1 (G) | 5 | 1 | C (3) |
A♭ major is played at the 10th fret as 11 11 10 ×: middle finger on the E string at fret 11, ring finger on the A string at fret 11 and index finger on the D string at fret 10. The G string stays muted.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (E) | 11 | 2 | E♭ (5) |
| 3 (A) | 11 | 3 | A♭ (1) |
| 2 (D) | 10 | 1 | C (3) |
| 1 (G) | muted | — | — |
A♭ major is written as A♭, A♭maj, or A♭M. The ASCII root is Ab, so you may see Ab major. It is also spelled G♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
A♭ major has a major third (C), while A♭ minor has a minor third (C♭). This single note changes the chord from bright to dark. The fifth, E♭, is the same in both chords.
Yes, the A♭/E♭ inversion at the 6th fret on the 3rd string and 5th fret on the 1st string omits the 4th string. This voicing sits higher and works well when the bass needs to stay out of the kick drum's range.