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A♭ major 7th chord on guitar (A♭maj7)
Also called or written A♭maj7 or A♭M7
A♭ major 7th contains A♭, C, E♭, and G. The 4th fret shape uses a barre across the fourth fret, making it a demanding grip.
How it is built
Formula 1, 3, 5, 7
- Root positionA♭–C–E♭–GA♭maj74-6-5-5-4-4
- First inversionC–E♭–G–A♭A♭maj7/C×-3-1-1-1-3
- Second inversionE♭–G–A♭–CA♭maj7/E♭×-×-1-1-1-3
- Third inversionG–A♭–C–E♭A♭maj7/G3-3-1-1-1-3
How do you play an A♭ major 7th chord on guitar?
A♭ major 7th is played at the 4th fret as 4 6 5 5 4 4: barre your index finger across 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | 4 | 1 (barre) | A♭ (1) |
| 5 (A) | 6 | 4 | E♭ (5) |
| 4 (D) | 5 | 2 | G (7) |
| 3 (G) | 5 | 3 | C (3) |
| 2 (B) | 4 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (5) |
| 1 (e) | 4 | 1 (barre) | A♭ (1) |
AdvancedThe index barre must fret all six strings cleanly while the pinky reaches the 6th fret of the A string.
6th fret
A♭ major 7th is played at the 6th fret as × × 6 8 8 8: index finger on the D string at fret 6, middle finger on the G string at fret 8, ring finger on the B string at fret 8 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 | 2 | E♭ (5) |
| 2 (B) | 8 | 3 | G (7) |
| 1 (e) | 8 | 4 | C (3) |
11th fret
A♭ major 7th is played at the 11th fret as × 11 13 12 13 11: barre your index finger across fret 11, ring finger on the D string at fret 13, middle finger on the G string at fret 12 and pinky finger on the B string at fret 13. The low E string stays muted.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 (E) | muted | — | — |
| 5 (A) | 11 | 1 (barre) | A♭ (1) |
| 4 (D) | 13 | 3 | E♭ (5) |
| 3 (G) | 12 | 2 | G (7) |
| 2 (B) | 13 | 4 | C (3) |
| 1 (e) | 11 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (5) |
A♭maj7/C inversion · fret 1
A♭ major 7th is played at the 1st fret as × 3 1 1 1 3: barre your index finger across fret 1, ring finger on the A string at fret 3 and pinky finger on the high e 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 | 3 | 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) | 3 | 4 | G (7) |
A♭maj7/C inversion · fret 6
A♭ major 7th is played at the 6th fret as 8 6 6 8 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 B string at fret 8. The high e string stays muted.
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) | 8 | 4 | G (7) |
| 1 (e) | muted | — | — |
Why it sounds like that
A♭ major 7th is built from the formula 1, 3, 5, 7. The major 7th interval from A♭ to G gives the chord its characteristic color. Compare it with A♭ major, which lacks the 7th.
What goes wrong with A♭ major 7th?
- Under-barring the high E string causes a dead note.
- Flattening the middle finger onto the G string mutes the G.
- Letting the pinky touch the D string deadens the D.
When to use it
A♭ major 7th is the tonic in A♭ major, so it works in the I–IV–V–I progression A♭–D♭–E♭–A♭. It also suits the I–V–vi–IV of A♭–E♭–F minor–D♭. Use it for jazz, pop ballads, or any style needing a smooth major sound.
Changing to and from A♭ major 7th
- Sliding the 4th fret shape down two frets to the 2nd fret gives F♯ major 7th.
- Move to A major 7th by sliding the shape up one fret to the 5th fret.
Which voicing to use
The 4th fret shape keeps A♭ as the bass note and is the default. The 6th fret shape drops the low strings for a lighter texture, while the 11th fret shape uses a barre for a fuller sound.
Other A♭ chords
Common questions
How is A♭ major 7th written?
A♭ major 7th is written as 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 difference between A♭ major 7th and A♭ major?
A♭ major 7th adds the G, a major 7th above A♭. A♭ major contains only A♭, C, and E♭.
Why does the 4th fret shape use a full barre?
The full barre allows all six strings to sound, giving a fuller voicing.