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A♭ major 7th chord on ukulele (A♭maj7)
Also called or written A♭maj7 or A♭M7
A♭ major 7th is built from A♭, C, E♭, and G. This 1st-fret grip is a wide stretch, and the A♭maj7/E♭ inversion requires a barre across the 8th fret.
How it is built
Formula 1, 3, 5, 7
- Root positionA♭–C–E♭–GA♭maj78-8-8-10
- First inversionC–E♭–G–A♭A♭maj7/C12-12-11-11
- Second inversionE♭–G–A♭–CA♭maj7/E♭1-3-3-3
- Third inversionG–A♭–C–E♭A♭maj7/G12-12-11-11
How do you play an A♭ major 7th chord on ukulele?
A♭ major 7th is played at the 1st fret as 1 3 3 3: index finger on the G string at fret 1, middle finger on the C string at fret 3, ring finger on the E string at fret 3 and pinky finger on the A string at fret 3.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 1 | 1 | A♭ (1) |
| 3 (C) | 3 | 2 | E♭ (5) |
| 2 (E) | 3 | 3 | G (7) |
| 1 (A) | 3 | 4 | C (3) |
AdvancedThe index finger at fret 1 and pinky at fret 3 force a wide stretch, and the three fingers on fret 3 must fit without muting each other.
8th fret
A♭ major 7th is played at the 8th fret as 8 8 8 10: barre your index finger across fret 8 and pinky finger on the A string at fret 10.
Full note and interval breakdown
| 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) | 10 | 4 | G (7) |
A♭maj7/C inversion
A♭ major 7th is played at the 11th fret as 12 12 11 11: ring finger on the G string at fret 12, pinky finger on the C string at fret 12, index finger on the E string at fret 11 and middle finger on the A string at fret 11.
Full note and interval breakdown
| String | Fret | Finger | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 (G) | 12 | 3 | G (7) |
| 3 (C) | 12 | 4 | C (3) |
| 2 (E) | 11 | 1 | E♭ (5) |
| 1 (A) | 11 | 2 | A♭ (1) |
Why it sounds like that
A♭ major 7th stacks a major 3rd, perfect 5th, and major 7th above A♭. The major 7th interval is what separates it from A♭ major, which stops at the perfect 5th.
What goes wrong with A♭ major 7th?
- The ring finger touches the A string, muting the pinky's note.
- The index finger presses too far from the fret, making the G string buzz.
- The middle finger leans on the E string, dulling its sound.
When to use it
A♭ major 7th works as the I chord in A♭ major, such as A♭–D♭–E♭–A♭ (I–IV–V–I). It also fits the I–V–vi–IV progression A♭–E♭–F minor–D♭. Use it for jazz, gospel, or any style that embraces flat keys and warm major colors.
Changing to and from A♭ major 7th
- Sliding the shape up one fret to the 2nd fret gives A major 7th.
- From A♭ major, lift the pinky and add the middle and ring fingers on fret 3 for A♭ major 7th.
Which voicing to use
The 1st fret voicing puts A♭ in the bass for a root-position sound. The A♭maj7/E♭ inversion at frets 8-8-8-10 places the 5th in the bass, giving a lighter, more open feel.
Other A♭ chords
Common questions
How is A♭ major 7th written?
A♭ major 7th is written A♭M7 or A♭maj7. On a keyboard, the root is typed as Ab. It is also spelled G♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.
Why does my A♭ major 7th sound out of tune?
Check that the middle and ring fingers are not bending the strings sideways. The three fingers on fret 3 must press straight down, and the pinky must clear the E string.
Can I use the A♭maj7/E♭ inversion as a substitute?
Yes, but it has E♭ in the bass, which makes it less stable than the root position. Use it when you want a passing chord that leads to A♭ major.