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A♭ 6th chord on guitar (A♭6)
Also called or written A♭6 or A♭
A♭ 6th contains A♭, C, E♭ and F. The 3rd fret shape bars the A and D strings with the index finger while the pinky reaches the 5th fret.
How it is built
Formula 1, 3, 5, 6
- Root positionA♭–C–E♭–FA♭64-3-3-5-4-×
- First inversionC–E♭–F–A♭A♭6/C×-3-1-1-1-1
- Second inversionE♭–F–A♭–CA♭6/E♭×-×-1-1-1-1
- Third inversionF–A♭–C–E♭A♭6/F1-3-1-1-1-1
How do you play an A♭ 6th chord on guitar?
A♭ 6th is played at the 3rd fret as 4 3 3 5 4 ×: barre your index finger across fret 3, middle finger on the low E string at fret 4, pinky finger on the G string at fret 5 and ring finger on the B string at fret 4. The high e string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 4 | 2 | A♭ (1) |
| 5 (A) | 3 | 1 (barre) | C (3) |
| 4 (D) | 3 | 1 (barre) | F (6) |
| 3 (G) | 5 | 4 | C (3) |
| 2 (B) | 4 | 3 | E♭ (5) |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
AdvancedThe index barre must fret the A and D strings at the 3rd fret while the pinky stretches to the 5th fret G string, which requires finger independence.
6th fret
A♭ 6th is played at the 6th fret as × × 6 8 6 8: index finger on the D string at fret 6, ring finger on the G string at fret 8, middle finger on the B string at fret 6 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 8. The low E and A strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | muted | — | — |
| 4 (D) | 6 | 1 | A♭ (1) |
| 3 (G) | 8 | 3 | E♭ (5) |
| 2 (B) | 6 | 2 | F (6) |
| 1 (e) | 8 | 4 | C (3) |
A♭6/C inversion · fret 1
A♭ 6th is played at the 1st fret as × 3 1 1 1 1: barre your index finger across fret 1 and pinky finger on the A string at fret 3. The low E string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 3 | 4 | C (3) |
| 4 (D) | 1 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (5) |
| 3 (G) | 1 | 1 (barre) | A♭ (1) |
| 2 (B) | 1 | 1 (barre) | C (3) |
| 1 (e) | 1 | 1 (barre) | F (6) |
A♭6/C inversion · fret 3
A♭ 6th is played at the 3rd fret as × 3 3 5 4 4: barre your index finger across fret 3, pinky finger on the G string at fret 5, middle finger on the B string at fret 4 and ring finger on the high e string at fret 4. The low E string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 3 | 1 (barre) | C (3) |
| 4 (D) | 3 | 1 (barre) | F (6) |
| 3 (G) | 5 | 4 | C (3) |
| 2 (B) | 4 | 2 | E♭ (5) |
| 1 (e) | 4 | 3 | A♭ (1) |
A♭6/C inversion · fret 6
A♭ 6th is played at the 6th fret as 8 6 6 8 6 8: barre your index finger across fret 6, middle finger on the low E string at fret 8, ring finger on the G string at fret 8 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 8.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 8 | 2 | C (3) |
| 5 (A) | 6 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (5) |
| 4 (D) | 6 | 1 (barre) | A♭ (1) |
| 3 (G) | 8 | 3 | E♭ (5) |
| 2 (B) | 6 | 1 (barre) | F (6) |
| 1 (e) | 8 | 4 | C (3) |
Why it sounds like that
A♭ 6th is built from the formula 1, 3, 5, 6. The major sixth F added to the A♭ major triad gives the chord a warm, jazzy colour. Compare it with A♭ major, which has only three notes.
What goes wrong with A♭ 6th?
- Letting the high e string ring: mute it with the ring finger, or the open E clashes with the chord.
- Not pressing the barre hard enough on the D string, causing a buzz.
- Flattening the pinky onto the B string and deadening it.
When to use it
A♭ 6th is the tonic in A♭ major, used in the I–IV–V–I progression A♭–D♭–E♭–A♭. Its jazzy colour suits swing and blues. Use it to add sophistication to an A♭ major chord in a turnaround.
Changing to and from A♭ 6th
- Sliding the shape up one fret to the 4th fret gives A 6th; the barre and fingers move as a unit.
Which voicing to use
The 3rd fret shape keeps the root A♭ in the bass and is the most common movable form. The A♭6/C inversion at the 1st fret places the third C in the bass, which gives a lighter, more open sound.
Other A♭ chords
Common questions
How is A♭ 6th written?
The symbol A♭6 is the most common spelling, and the ASCII root is Ab. It is also spelled G♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
Can I play A♭ 6th with a barre at the 6th fret?
Yes, the 6th fret shape is a partial barre with the root on the D string. It is useful for higher register playing.
Why is the high e string muted in the 3rd fret shape?
The high e is not a chord tone, so it must be muted to keep the voicing clean and avoid a clash.