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A♭ 5th chord on guitar (A♭5)
Also called or written A♭5, A♭ or A♭ power chord
A♭ 5th contains the notes A♭ and E♭. This intermediate power chord at the fourth fret requires a two-fret stretch between the index and ring fingers.
How it is built
Formula 1, 5
- Root positionA♭–E♭A♭54-6-6-×-×-×
- First inversionE♭–A♭A♭5/E♭11-11-13-13-×-×
How do you play an A♭ 5th chord on guitar?
A♭ 5th is played at the 4th fret as 4 6 6 × × ×: index finger on the low E string at fret 4, middle finger on the A string at fret 6 and ring finger on the D string at fret 6. The G, B and high e strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 4 | 1 | A♭ (1) |
| 5 (A) | 6 | 2 | E♭ (5) |
| 4 (D) | 6 | 3 | A♭ (1) |
| 3 (G) | muted | — | — |
| 2 (B) | muted | — | — |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
IntermediateThe hardest part is the two-fret stretch between the index finger and the middle and ring fingers at the fourth fret.
11th fret
A♭ 5th is played at the 11th fret as × 11 13 13 × ×: index finger on the A string at fret 11, middle finger on the D string at fret 13 and ring finger on the G string at fret 13. The low E, B and high e strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 11 | 1 | A♭ (1) |
| 4 (D) | 13 | 2 | E♭ (5) |
| 3 (G) | 13 | 3 | A♭ (1) |
| 2 (B) | muted | — | — |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
A♭5/E♭ inversion
A♭ 5th is played at the 11th fret as 11 11 13 13 × ×: index finger on the low E string at fret 11, middle finger on the A string at fret 11, ring finger on the D string at fret 13 and pinky finger on the G string at fret 13. The B and high e strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 11 | 1 | E♭ (5) |
| 5 (A) | 11 | 2 | A♭ (1) |
| 4 (D) | 13 | 3 | E♭ (5) |
| 3 (G) | 13 | 4 | A♭ (1) |
| 2 (B) | muted | — | — |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
Why it sounds like that
A♭ 5th is built from the 1st and 5th degrees of the A♭ major scale, giving the formula 1–5. The perfect fifth interval creates the open, neutral sound typical of power chords. Compare it with A♭ major, which adds the major third C for a complete major triad.
What goes wrong with A♭ 5th?
- The 3rd string sounds because the fretting hand fails to mute it.
- The 2nd string rings open when the fretting hand fails to mute it.
- The 5th string buzzes because the middle finger is too far from the fret.
When to use it
A♭ 5th functions as the tonic in A♭ major progressions like A♭–D♭–E♭ (I–IV–V) or A♭–E♭–Fm–D♭ (I–V–vi–IV). Its neutral fifth suits rock, punk, and metal rhythm parts. Use it with A♭ major and E♭ major for a full major sound.
Changing to and from A♭ 5th
- Sliding the shape down one fret to the 3rd fret gives G 5th.
- Sliding the shape up one fret to the 5th fret gives A 5th.
Which voicing to use
The 4th fret position is the default and works well for barre chord progressions. The 11th fret position moves the shape up the neck for a higher voicing. The A♭5/D♯ inversion puts the fifth in the bass, giving a less rooted, more open sound.
Other A♭ chords
Common questions
How is A♭ 5th written?
A♭ 5th is written as A♭5, Ab5, or A♭ power chord. It is also spelled G♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
What is the difference between A♭ 5th and A♭ major?
A♭ 5th contains only A♭ and E♭, while A♭ major adds C. The missing third makes the power chord neutral and suitable for both major and minor contexts.
Can A♭ 5th be played on the 5th string?
Yes, the 11th fret position uses the 5th string at fret 11 for the root A♭. The default position uses the 6th string at fret 4 for the root A♭.