Also written A♭6 or A♭
A♭ 6th contains A♭, C, E♭ and F. The 1st fret shape is a wide stretch, but a 5th fret inversion offers relief.
The same three notes, with a different one in the bass.
A♭ 6th is built from the major triad A♭–C–E♭ plus the sixth, F. The sixth adds a warm, consonant colour to the major sound. Compare it with A♭ major, which stops at the fifth and sounds more plain.
A♭ 6th functions as the tonic in A♭ major, fitting the I–IV–V–I progression A♭–D♭–E♭–A♭. It suits jazz, blues and pop ballads where a major triad needs extra warmth. Replace A♭ major with it at phrase endings.
The 1st fret shape has A♭ in the bass, giving a clear root position. The A♭6/C inversion at the 5th fret places C in the bass, which softens the chord and makes it easier to play. The A♭6/E♭ inversion at the 8th fret has E♭ in the bass, creating a brighter, more open sound.
A♭ 6th is played at the 1st fret as 1 3 1 3: index finger on the G string at fret 1, ring finger on the C string at fret 3, middle finger on the E string at fret 1 and pinky finger on the A string at fret 3.
Tip — The pinky must reach fret 3 on the A string while the index and middle hold fret 1, stretching the hand.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 1 | 1 | A♭ (1) |
| 3 (C) | 3 | 3 | E♭ (5) |
| 2 (E) | 1 | 2 | F (6) |
| 1 (A) | 3 | 4 | C (3) |
A♭ 6th is played at the 4th fret as 5 5 4 6: middle finger on the G string at fret 5, ring finger on the C string at fret 5, index finger on the E string at fret 4 and pinky finger on the A string at fret 6.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 5 | 2 | C (3) |
| 3 (C) | 5 | 3 | F (6) |
| 2 (E) | 4 | 1 | A♭ (1) |
| 1 (A) | 6 | 4 | E♭ (5) |
A♭ 6th is played at the 8th fret as 8 8 8 8: barre your index finger across fret 8.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 8 | 1 (barre) | E♭ (5) |
| 3 (C) | 8 | 1 (barre) | A♭ (1) |
| 2 (E) | 8 | 1 (barre) | C (3) |
| 1 (A) | 8 | 1 (barre) | F (6) |
A♭ 6th is played at the 10th fret as 10 12 11 11: index finger on the G string at fret 10, pinky finger on the C string at fret 12, middle finger on the E string at fret 11 and ring finger on the A string at fret 11.
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 10 | 1 | F (6) |
| 3 (C) | 12 | 4 | C (3) |
| 2 (E) | 11 | 2 | E♭ (5) |
| 1 (A) | 11 | 3 | A♭ (1) |
A♭ 6th is written as A♭6 or A♭. The root is A♭, and the ASCII spelling is Ab. It is also spelled G♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
A♭ 6th adds the sixth, F, while A♭ major 7th adds the seventh, G. The sixth is more consonant and less tense than the major seventh.
Yes, A♭ 6th can appear in F natural minor as the III chord, but it is less common. It adds a major colour to the minor progression.
The 5th fret inversion uses frets closer together, so the hand does not need to stretch as much. It also has C in the bass, which is a softer sound.