A♭ seventh chord (A♭7)

A♭ seventh is a 4-note dominant seventh chord: A♭ – C – E♭ – G♭. It sounds tense: it wants to resolve to another chord. Here it is on guitar, piano and ukulele, with fingering and audio. Also called G♯ seventh (G♯7).

NotesA♭ – C – E♭ – G♭
Formula1 – 3 – 5 – ♭7
SymbolA♭7 · A♭dom7
EnharmonicG♯ seventh (G♯7)

A♭ seventh on guitar

Barre at fret 4 (E shape)
Barre at fret 11 (A shape)

How to place your fingers (barre at fret 4)

Barre fret 4 with your index finger, from the 6th to the 1st string.
Finger 3 (ring) on fret 6 of the 5th string (A).
Finger 2 (middle) on fret 5 of the 3rd string (G).

The numbers inside the dots are the fingers of your left hand: 1 index, 2 middle, 3 ring and 4 pinky. The colored dots mark the root (A♭). The other positions let you change chords without jumping along the neck, or give you a higher-pitched sound.

A♭ seventh on piano

In root position, play A♭ – C – E♭ – G♭ from bottom to top with fingers 1, 2, 3 and 5 of your right hand. With your left hand you usually play just the root (A♭) or the root and the fifth.

Inversions

First inversion: C – E♭ – G♭ – A♭
Second inversion: E♭ – G♭ – A♭ – C
Third inversion: G♭ – A♭ – C – E♭

A♭ seventh on ukulele

Open position
From fret 3

Standard tuning G – C – E – A (the G string is the high one). Is your ukulele in tune? Use the ukulele tuner.

Notes and intervals of A♭ seventh

A♭1 · root
C3 · major third
E♭5 · perfect fifth
G♭♭7 · minor seventh

It's the dominant chord (V7): it sets up the arrival at the tonic and is the foundation of blues, son and many song endings.

Progressions with A♭7

A dominant that resolves: V7 – I

A♭7 is the fifth degree of D♭ major: its tension wants to resolve to D♭.

The ii–V–I: ii7 – V7 – Imaj7

The most common cadence in jazz and bossa nova.

Which keys contain A♭ seventh?

A♭7 belongs to 2 keys: in each one it plays a different role depending on the degree (the Roman numeral).

Key	Degree
D♭ major	V7
B♭ natural minor	VII7

Frequently asked questions

What notes are in the A flat seventh chord?

A♭ seventh (A♭7) has 4 notes: A♭ (root), C (major third), E♭ (perfect fifth), G♭ (minor seventh).

How do you play A♭ seventh on guitar?

The most common shape uses a barre at fret 4: 4 6 4 5 4 4 (from the 6th to the 1st string). Barre fret 4 with your index finger, from the 6th to the 1st string. Place finger 3 (ring finger) at fret 6 on the 5th string (A). Place finger 2 (middle finger) at fret 5 on the 3rd string (G).

Is A♭7 the same as G♯7?

Yes: A♭ seventh and G♯ seventh sound the same and are played the same way (they're enharmonic). The spelling depends on the song's key; you'll see both names in sheet music and songbooks.

What is the chord symbol for A♭ seventh?

It is written A♭7; you may also see A♭dom7. Chord notation uses letters for the notes: C, D, E, F, G, A and B.

Want to play whole songs?

A teacher shows you how to change chords smoothly, strum and play along to your favorite songs, in online lessons or at home in Bogotá.

Message us on WhatsApp See lessons