Ab7 Chord
Ab7 adds G flat to the A flat major triad. That flat seventh makes it useful before a chord whose root lies a fifth below A flat.
- Notes: A flat-C-E flat-G flat
- Symbol: Ab7
- V7 in Db major
- Flat seventh
Ab7
How to play an Ab7 chord
Notes: Ab - C - Eb - GbAb7
Root position
Ab - C - Eb - Gb1st inversion
C - Eb - Gb - Ab2nd inversion
Eb - Gb - Ab - C3rd inversion
Gb - Ab - C - Eb
Where does Ab7 belong?
In Db major, Ab7 acts as V7 and points toward the tonic.
Play the role cards to hear how its surrounding chords change the job it does; Diatonic Chords explains the basic numbered roles.
- DominantV7
It resolves to Db: C rises to D flat and G flat falls a half step.
DbGbAb7V7Db - Minor-key dominantV7
The same pull in C# minor, where harmonic minor supplies the raised C. In this key the chord is spelled G#7.
C#mF#mG#7V7C#m - Blues homeI7
In a 12-bar blues the home chord is itself a 7 chord, and it does not need to resolve.
Ab7I7Db7Ab7Eb7 - Secondary dominantII7
In Gb major it borrows a pull toward Db, the V of that key.
GbAb7II7DbGb
Progressions to try
- DbGbAb7Db
Ab7 is V7 in Db major; hear its seventh and third lean into the last chord.
- C#mF#mG#7C#m
The same dominant shape leads into a minor tonic in C# minor. Here the same sounding chord is written G#7 rather than Ab7.
- Ab7Db7Ab7Eb7
In Ab blues, the tonic itself carries a seventh; the loop returns to Ab7 without losing that blues color.
- GbAb7DbGb
Ab7 briefly acts as a secondary dominant, pointing toward the chord after it rather than the main tonic.
Which shape should you use?
On guitar, start with 464544, a barre at the 4th fret. The barre shape x-11-13-11-13-11, at the 11th fret, moves the chord up the neck and sits well between other barre chords.
On ukulele, the open shape 1023 is the easiest place to start. 5646 gives a higher version.
On piano, play A flat-C-E flat-G flat. Move A flat up an octave to reach the first inversion, C-E flat-G flat-A flat; the notes remain the same while the lowest voice changes.
What are the inversions?
A flat is the root, C the major third, E flat the fifth and G flat the flat seventh, ten semitones above the root.
- Root position: A flat-C-E flat-G flat, with A flat lowest.
- First inversion: C-E flat-G flat-A flat, written Ab7/C if C is lowest in the whole arrangement.
- Second inversion: E flat-G flat-A flat-C, written Ab7/Eb if E flat is lowest in the whole arrangement.
- Third inversion: G flat-A flat-C-E flat, written Ab7/Gb if G flat is lowest in the whole arrangement.
A slash chord names the note in the bass, not merely the lowest note under one hand. Chord Inversions shows how to read that distinction.
How does Ab7 differ from Abmaj7?
Keep A flat, C and E flat; raise the seventh from G flat to G. The result is Abmaj7, whose major seventh changes the pull. Try that one-note change on piano, then use the comparer to hear it in the full chord. See Abmaj7 for the other chord's full spelling and roles.
Ab7
Ab - C - Eb - GbAbmaj7
Ab - C - Eb - G