Tools / Chords / A♭ minor 7th

A♭ minor 7th chord on ukulele (A♭m7)

Also written A♭m7 or A♭min7

Ukulele · A♭m7/E♭ inversion

A♭ minor 7th is built from A♭, C♭, E♭, and G♭. The default voicing uses a pinky stretch to the 3rd fret, making it a challenging grip.

A♭m7/E♭ inversion1-3-2-2

Positions on the neck1 of 4

How it’s built

A♭1Root

C♭♭3Minor 3rd

E♭5Perfect 5th

G♭♭7Minor 7th

Formula 1, ♭3, 5, ♭7

Positions on the neck1 of 4

Inversions

The same three notes, with a different one in the bass.

Root positionA♭–C♭–E♭–G♭A♭m7Bass A♭

First inversionC♭–E♭–G♭–A♭A♭m7/C♭Bass C♭

Second inversionE♭–G♭–A♭–C♭A♭m7/E♭Bass E♭

Third inversionG♭–A♭–C♭–E♭A♭m7/G♭Bass G♭

Why it sounds like that

A♭ minor 7th is built from the formula 1, ♭3, 5, ♭7. The minor 7th interval between A♭ and G♭ gives the chord its mellow, slightly melancholic quality. Compare it to A♭ minor, which drops the G♭ and sounds more resolved.

What goes wrong with A♭ minor 7th?

The pinky collapses and mutes the C string.
The middle finger touches the A string, deadening it.
The index finger lifts off the G string, causing a buzz.

When to use it

A♭ minor 7th suits jazz ballads, R&B, and downtempo electronic music where a smooth minor 7th is desired. In B major, it appears in the I–V–vi–IV progression as the vi chord, following F♯ major and leading to E major. Compare it to A♭ minor for a less complex sound.

Changing to and from A♭ minor 7th

Slide the shape up one fret to the 2nd fret to play A minor 7th.
Slide the shape up two frets to the 3rd fret to play B♭ minor 7th.

Which voicing to use

The default voicing is an A♭m7/E♭ inversion with E♭ in the bass, giving a lighter, less grounded sound. The 7th fret voicing puts A♭ in the bass for a root-position feel, while the A♭m7/G♭ inversion at the 4th fret emphasizes the seventh.

How do you play an A♭ minor 7th chord on ukulele?

A♭m7/E♭ inversion

Intermediate● On the diagram

A♭ minor 7th is played at the 1st fret as 1 3 2 2: index finger on the G string at fret 1, pinky finger on the C string at fret 3, middle finger on the E string at fret 2 and ring finger on the A string at fret 2.

Tip — The pinky must stretch to the 3rd fret on the C string while the index holds the 1st fret, creating a wide span.

String-by-string breakdown

String	Fret	Finger	Note
4 (G)	1	1	A♭ (1)
3 (C)	3	4	E♭ (5)
2 (E)	2	2	G♭ (♭7)
1 (A)	2	3	C♭ (♭3)

A♭m7/G♭ inversion

Intermediate

A♭ minor 7th is played at the 4th fret as 4 6 4 6: index finger on the G string at fret 4, ring finger on the C string at fret 6, middle finger on the E string at fret 4 and pinky finger on the A string at fret 6.

String-by-string breakdown

String	Fret	Finger	Note
4 (G)	4	1	C♭ (♭3)
3 (C)	6	3	G♭ (♭7)
2 (E)	4	2	A♭ (1)
1 (A)	6	4	E♭ (5)

7th fret

Intermediate

A♭ minor 7th is played at the 7th fret as 8 8 7 9: middle finger on the G string at fret 8, ring finger on the C string at fret 8, index finger on the E string at fret 7 and pinky finger on the A string at fret 9.

String-by-string breakdown

String	Fret	Finger	Note
4 (G)	8	2	E♭ (5)
3 (C)	8	3	A♭ (1)
2 (E)	7	1	C♭ (♭3)
1 (A)	9	4	G♭ (♭7)

A♭m7/C♭ inversion

Barre

A♭ minor 7th is played at the 11th fret as 11 11 11 11: barre your index finger across fret 11.

String-by-string breakdown

String	Fret	Finger	Note
4 (G)	11	1 (barre)	G♭ (♭7)
3 (C)	11	1 (barre)	C♭ (♭3)
2 (E)	11	1 (barre)	E♭ (5)
1 (A)	11	1 (barre)	A♭ (1)

Common questions

How is A♭ minor 7th written?

A♭ minor 7th is written as A♭min7 or A♭m7. On a keyboard, use Ab for the root. It is also spelled G♯ in enharmonic notation for the same sounding root.

What is the difference between A♭ minor 7th and A♭ minor?

A♭ minor 7th adds a G♭ to the A♭ minor triad. The extra note creates a softer, more complex sound that resolves less firmly.

Why does the default voicing sound less stable than the 7th fret voicing?

The default voicing puts E♭ in the bass, making it a second inversion. Bass notes other than the root reduce the chord's stability and give it a floating quality.

Can I play A♭ minor 7th without the pinky stretch?

The 11th fret barre voicing uses one finger across all strings, avoiding the stretch. However, it requires a clean barre at the 11th fret.

String

Fret

Finger

Note

4 (G)

A♭ (1)

3 (C)

E♭ (5)

2 (E)

G♭ (♭7)

1 (A)

C♭ (♭3)

String

Fret

Finger

Note

4 (G)

C♭ (♭3)

3 (C)

G♭ (♭7)

2 (E)

A♭ (1)

1 (A)

E♭ (5)

String

Fret

Finger

Note

4 (G)

E♭ (5)

3 (C)

A♭ (1)

2 (E)

C♭ (♭3)

1 (A)

G♭ (♭7)

String

Fret

Finger

Note

4 (G)

1 (barre)

G♭ (♭7)

3 (C)

1 (barre)

C♭ (♭3)

2 (E)

1 (barre)

E♭ (5)

1 (A)

1 (barre)

A♭ (1)