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A♭ 7th sharp 5 chord on ukulele (A♭7♯5)
Also called or written A♭7♯5, A♭ or A♭ Dominant 7th ♯5
A♭ 7th sharp 5 is built from A♭, C, E and G♭. The 9-8-8-9 grip sits high on the neck and demands a clean four-finger stretch.
How it is built
Formula 1, 3, ♯5, ♭7
- Root positionA♭–C–E–G♭A♭7♯59-8-8-9
- First inversionC–E–G♭–A♭A♭7♯5/C11-12-12-11
- Second inversionE–G♭–A♭–CA♭7♯5/E9-8-8-9
- Third inversionG♭–A♭–C–EA♭7♯5/G♭11-12-12-11
How do you play an A♭ 7th sharp 5 chord on ukulele?
A♭ 7th sharp 5 is played at the 8th fret as 9 8 8 9: ring finger on the G string at fret 9, index finger on the C string at fret 8, middle finger on the E string at fret 8 and pinky finger on the A string at fret 9.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 9 | 3 | E (♯5) |
| 3 (C) | 8 | 1 | A♭ (1) |
| 2 (E) | 8 | 2 | C (3) |
| 1 (A) | 9 | 4 | G♭ (♭7) |
AdvancedThe four-finger stretch across frets 8 and 9, with the pinky reaching fret 9 on the A string, is the hardest part.
A♭7♯5/C inversion
A♭ 7th sharp 5 is played at the 11th fret as 11 12 12 11: index finger on the G string at fret 11, ring finger on the C string at fret 12, pinky finger on the E string at fret 12 and middle finger on the A string at fret 11.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 11 | 1 | G♭ (♭7) |
| 3 (C) | 12 | 3 | C (3) |
| 2 (E) | 12 | 4 | E (♯5) |
| 1 (A) | 11 | 2 | A♭ (1) |
Why it sounds like that
A♭ 7th sharp 5 stacks a major 3rd, an augmented 5th and a minor 7th over the root. The augmented 5th, E, is what separates it from A♭ 7th, whose 5th is E♭. That raised 5th creates a tritone with the 3rd, C, giving the chord its tense dominant colour.
What goes wrong with A♭ 7th sharp 5?
- Letting the pinky flatten onto the A string and deaden the note at fret 9.
- Not arching the ring finger enough, causing the G string at fret 9 to buzz.
When to use it
A♭ 7th sharp 5 works as a tense dominant in jazz or blues, especially over A♭ aeolian dominant or A♭ altered scales. Use it to add tension before resolving to A♭ major.
Changing to and from A♭ 7th sharp 5
- Sliding the shape down one fret to the 7th fret gives G 7th sharp 5.
Which voicing to use
The default A♭7♯5/E inversion puts the augmented 5th, E, in the bass, which makes the chord sound unstable and restless. The A♭7♯5/G♭ inversion, with the ♭7 in the bass, is higher and slightly brighter.
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, so Ab7#5 also works. 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: it is A♭, C and E. A♭ 7th sharp 5 adds the minor 7th, G♭, which makes it a dominant chord rather than a pure augmented triad.
Why does A♭ 7th sharp 5 sound so tense?
The augmented 5th, E, forms a tritone with the 3rd, C. That tritone is the engine of dominant tension, pulling the chord toward its resolution.