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A♭ 7th sharp 5 chord on guitar (A♭7♯5)
Also called or written A♭7♯5, A♭ or A♭ Dominant 7th ♯5
A♭ 7th sharp 5 contains A♭, C, E, and G♭. The default voicing skips the 3rd and 2nd strings, with the pinky stretching to fret 4 on the 6th string.
How it is built
Formula 1, 3, ♯5, ♭7
- Root positionA♭–C–E–G♭A♭7♯54-3-2-×-×-2
- First inversionC–E–G♭–A♭A♭7♯5/C×-3-2-1-1-2
- Second inversionE–G♭–A♭–CA♭7♯5/E×-×-2-1-1-2
- Third inversionG♭–A♭–C–EA♭7♯5/G♭2-3-2-1-1-×
How do you play an A♭ 7th sharp 5 chord on guitar?
A♭ 7th sharp 5 is played at the 2nd fret as 4 3 2 × × 2: pinky finger on the low E string at fret 4, ring finger on the A string at fret 3, index finger on the D string at fret 2 and middle finger on the high e string at fret 2. The G and B strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 4 | 4 | A♭ (1) |
| 5 (A) | 3 | 3 | C (3) |
| 4 (D) | 2 | 1 | E (♯5) |
| 3 (G) | muted | — | — |
| 2 (B) | muted | — | — |
| 1 (e) | 2 | 2 | G♭ (♭7) |
AdvancedThe pinky must fret the 6th string at fret 4 while the ring finger holds fret 3 on the 5th string, requiring a stretch.
4th fret
A♭ 7th sharp 5 is played at the 4th fret as 4 × 4 5 5 4: barre your index finger across fret 4, ring finger on the G string at fret 5 and pinky finger on the B string at fret 5. The A string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 4 | 1 (barre) | A♭ (1) |
| 5 (A) | muted | — | — |
| 4 (D) | 4 | 1 (barre) | G♭ (♭7) |
| 3 (G) | 5 | 3 | C (3) |
| 2 (B) | 5 | 4 | E (♯5) |
| 1 (e) | 4 | 1 (barre) | A♭ (1) |
10th fret
A♭ 7th sharp 5 is played at the 10th fret as × 11 10 11 × 12: middle finger on the A string at fret 11, index finger on the D string at fret 10, ring finger on the G string at fret 11 and pinky finger on the high e string at fret 12. The low E and B strings stay muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 11 | 2 | A♭ (1) |
| 4 (D) | 10 | 1 | C (3) |
| 3 (G) | 11 | 3 | G♭ (♭7) |
| 2 (B) | muted | — | — |
| 1 (e) | 12 | 4 | E (♯5) |
A♭7♯5/C inversion · fret 1
A♭ 7th sharp 5 is played at the 1st fret as × 3 2 1 1 2: barre your index finger across fret 1, pinky finger on the A string at fret 3, middle finger on the D string at fret 2 and ring finger on the high e string at fret 2. 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) | 2 | 2 | E (♯5) |
| 3 (G) | 1 | 1 (barre) | A♭ (1) |
| 2 (B) | 1 | 1 (barre) | C (3) |
| 1 (e) | 2 | 3 | G♭ (♭7) |
A♭7♯5/C inversion · fret 13
A♭ 7th sharp 5 is played at the 13th fret as × 15 14 13 13 14: barre your index finger across fret 13, pinky finger on the A string at fret 15, middle finger on the D string at fret 14 and ring finger on the high e string at fret 14. The low E string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 15 | 4 | C (3) |
| 4 (D) | 14 | 2 | E (♯5) |
| 3 (G) | 13 | 1 (barre) | A♭ (1) |
| 2 (B) | 13 | 1 (barre) | C (3) |
| 1 (e) | 14 | 3 | G♭ (♭7) |
Why it sounds like that
A♭ 7th sharp 5 is built from the formula 1, 3, ♯5, ♭7. The augmented 5th between A♭ and E gives the chord its tense quality. Compare it with A♭ 7th, which has a perfect 5th.
What goes wrong with A♭ 7th sharp 5?
- Letting the pinky flatten and mute the 5th string.
- Strumming the 3rd or 2nd string, which are not part of the chord.
- Fretting the 3rd string accidentally with the index finger.
When to use it
Use the supplied linked chords to hear its tension without adding unsupported harmony. Its dark, tense sound suits jazz and blues. Compare it with A♭ major to hear the difference between the sharp 5 and the perfect 5.
Changing to and from A♭ 7th sharp 5
- Sliding the shape down one fret to the 1st fret gives G 7th sharp 5.
- Move the pinky from fret 4 to fret 5 on the 6th string to reach A 7th sharp 5.
Which voicing to use
The 2nd fret voicing keeps A♭ in the bass, while the A♭7♯5/C inversion puts C in the bass for a smoother transition. The 10th fret voicing offers a higher register with A♭ still in the bass.
Other A♭ chords
Common questions
How is A♭ 7th sharp 5 written?
A♭ 7th sharp 5 is written as A♭7♯5 or A♭. The ASCII root is Ab. It is also spelled G♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
What is the difference between A♭ 7th sharp 5 and A♭ augmented?
A♭ augmented has no 7th, so it contains only A♭, C, and E. A♭ 7th sharp 5 adds the minor 7th G♭, creating a dominant sound.
Why does A♭ 7th sharp 5 sound unstable?
The augmented 5th interval between A♭ and E is dissonant. The tritone between C and G♭ adds further tension.
Can A♭ 7th sharp 5 be played in open position?
No, A♭ 7th sharp 5 has no open-string voicing. The lowest position is the 2nd fret shape shown here.